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Low 28 Bitcoin

Squashed 'src/secp256k1/' changes from bd0287d650..d2d04864ef

Public commit record

What the developer wrote

Authored by fanquake

96/100 · Strong
Squashed 'src/secp256k1/' changes from bd0287d650..d2d04864ef

d2d04864ef Merge bitcoin-core/secp256k1#1765: Add "silentpayments" module implementing BIP352 (take 4, limited to full-node scanning)
9e4ec507e9 Merge bitcoin-core/secp256k1#1890: nonce: terminate RFC6979 loop at UINT_MAX
afff8cba00 Merge bitcoin-core/secp256k1#1894: extrakeys: check invariant that x-only pubkeys have even Y
b1bc6f3e0c nonce: terminate RFC6979 loop at UINT_MAX
89a54b5aaf extrakeys: check invariant that x-only pubkeys have even Y
cea6d11410 silentpayments: drop "shuffle outputs" recommendation from API docs
1ae90bde8b silentpayments: flush labels before direct match
84a02fa989 silentpayments: extract label batch checker
8c3e6e6d99 Merge bitcoin-core/secp256k1#1889: field: serialize elements by word
11dad6d06c Merge bitcoin-core/secp256k1#1887: Make theStack a maintainer and a security contact
4aa16704ce silentpayments: skip slow benchmarks for low iters count (<= 2)
7e4b313cd5 docs: update README
f27a29687d ci: enable silentpayments module
4f7a578d4b tests: add sha256 tag test
936907b03f tests: add constant time tests
b608a9d91b tests: add BIP-352 test vectors
ca0136dcd5 silentpayments: optimize scanning by using batch inversion
7ae555c524 silentpayments: add benchmarks for scanning
f0fdd99d31 silentpayments: add examples/silentpayments.c
1c1b2753f4 silentpayments: respect per-group recipients protocol limit (K_max=2323)
d72a743273 silentpayments: receiving
c83b6783b8 silentpayments: recipient label support
b30ea3ebe4 silentpayments: sending
a93e696a17 build: add skeleton for new silentpayments (BIP352) module
e217ead5c4 field: serialize elements by word
d5c64bafc7 SECURITY.md: Align the table
9bd50f0cef SECURITY.md: Add theStack's key
ebf594320d Merge bitcoin-core/secp256k1#1884: SECURITY.md: remove Jonas Nick from trusted keys
21645c03a2 SECURITY.md: remove Jonas Nick from trusted keys
b90075a074 Merge bitcoin-core/secp256k1#1882: scalar: correct `_scalar_get_bits_{limb32,var}` input condition docs
5a8a411425 Merge bitcoin-core/secp256k1#1877: field: correct `fe_equal` magnitude bound for `b`
6a599a4428 scalar: correct `_scalar_get_bits_{limb32,var}` input condition docs
994b35010d field: correct fe_equal's b magnitude bound
2ce4f71dc5 Merge bitcoin-core/secp256k1#1845: Improve checks for scalar _get_bits methods
68b45fd4e2 Merge bitcoin-core/secp256k1#1881: tests: Fix GCC 17 snapshot warning
9d75769dec tests: Fix GCC 17 snapshot warning
9e3a165ad0 Merge bitcoin-core/secp256k1#1879: ci: add 'brew trust' invocation to macOS CI
66260b78a2 ci: add 'brew trust' invocation to macOS CI
0cad3df503 Improve checks for scalar _get_bits methods

git-subtree-dir: src/secp256k1
git-subtree-split: d2d04864ef9b056151603a3ced7980958b058028
✓ Specific, descriptive subject✓ Names a concrete action or component✓ Provides detailed explanatory context✓ Mentions testing or verification✓ Links an issue, advisory, or supporting reference✓ Names security-relevant behavior explicitly
The short version

What changed, and why it matters

This commit updates the secp256k1 cryptographic library inside Bitcoin Core to a newer version. The main change is adding support for a new optional feature called 'Silent Payments' (BIP352), which is a privacy-enhancing way to receive Bitcoin payments. The update also includes several smaller fixes and documentation updates, such as correcting a technical limit in a field-element comparison function, adding a safety check that x-only public keys must have even Y coordinates, and terminating a nonce-generation loop at a fixed maximum iteration count. There is no direct evidence in the commit message or diff that this is an emergency security patch for an active vulnerability; it reads as a routine feature and maintenance subtree update.

Recommended action

Treat this as a normal dependency update. Review the upstream libsecp256k1 release notes for the referenced range (bd0287d650..d2d04864ef) to confirm whether any of the included changes were security fixes. Run the existing Bitcoin Core and secp256k1 test suites, including the new Silent Payments vectors, before deploying. If Silent Payments support is not desired, it can be disabled at build time via --disable-module-silentpayments or -DSECP256K1_ENABLE_MODULE_SILENTPAYMENTS=OFF.

Security signals we found

01

New cryptographic module added (Silent Payments / BIP352)

02

Field-element equality check magnitude bound corrected from 31 to 30

03

X-only public key even-Y invariant enforced in extrakeys module

04

RFC6979 nonce loop bounded at UINT_MAX

05

SECURITY.md contact/key rotation

06

No vendor security disclosure or CVE referenced in commit

Risk score

Why this scored 28/100

Our methodology →
Potential impact 5/30
Exploitability 5/25
Stealth signal 5/15
Affected reach 5/15
Confidence 5/10
Evidence quality 3/5
Human-validated context

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