build: don't pass on boost dependency to kernel consumers
What the developer wrote
Authored by Cory Fields
build: don't pass on boost dependency to kernel consumers
This is unnecessary now that the kernel now exports a (boost-less) API.
What changed, and why it matters
This is a routine build-system cleanup. Bitcoin Core's internal 'kernel' library no longer needs to force programs that use it to also depend on the Boost C++ library, because the kernel's public interface has been rewritten to avoid BOOST. The change simply removes one line from a CMake build file so BOOST is kept as a private dependency of the kernel itself rather than being propagated to downstream consumers. There is no security-relevant code change.
No security action required. Treat as normal build hygiene.
Security signals we found
No strong security signals were identified.
Evidence from the diff
In src/kernel/CMakeLists.txt, the Boost::headers target is moved from the PUBLIC link-visibility section to the existing private link list of bitcoinkernel. This stops CMake from adding Boost include directories and link requirements to anything that links against bitcoinkernel. The commit message states this is possible because the kernel now exports a boost-less API. No source code, logic, or interfaces that handle untrusted data are modified.
Changed components
src/kernel/CMakeLists.txtInspect captured patch +0 / −1
diff --git a/src/kernel/CMakeLists.txt b/src/kernel/CMakeLists.txt
index eeae4630..f30ccce3 100644
--- a/src/kernel/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/kernel/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ target_link_libraries(bitcoinkernel
secp256k1_objs
$<$<PLATFORM_ID:Windows>:bcrypt>
$<TARGET_NAME_IF_EXISTS:USDT::headers>
- PUBLIC
Boost::headers
)
Why this scored 15/100
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