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Low 34 Bitcoin

Remove support for non-anchor channels (#3173)

Public commit record

What the developer wrote

Authored by Bastien Teinturier

98/100 · Strong
Remove support for non-anchor channels (#3173)

We remove support for `static_remotekey` channels and `default`
channels, as advertised in the v0.13 release. This lets us remove
some code related to feerate management and simplifies the test
matrix.

Node operators that still have such channels must not run this
version of `eclair`, which will otherwise fail to start.

Note that for now, we keep sending `update_fee` whenever necessary.
We could remove that now that package relay allows 1p1c packages to
propagate even when the parent is below the mempool minimum feerate,
but we defer that to a later PR for simplicity.
✓ Descriptive subject✓ Names a concrete action or component✓ Provides detailed explanatory context✓ Explains rationale or failure mode✓ Mentions testing or verification✓ Links an issue, advisory, or supporting reference
The short version

What changed, and why it matters

This commit removes support for older Lightning channel types ('static_remotekey' and 'default' channels) from the Eclair node software. It is a deliberate feature-removal change announced in the previous release. The main risk is operational: node operators who still have legacy channels and upgrade to this version will find Eclair fails to start, potentially leaving them unable to manage funds until those channels are closed with an older version. The patch also simplifies fee-rate handling because anchor-style channels handle fees differently, and it removes wallet-public-key caching code that was only needed for the obsolete channel types.

Recommended action

Node operators should verify they have no remaining 'static_remotekey' or 'default' channels before deploying this version; if any exist, close them using a prior Eclair release first. Reviewers should confirm that the removed code paths are fully unreachable and that no test or integration path still assumes legacy formats. The change is intentional and announced, so no security patch is needed, but release notes should clearly warn about the hard startup failure.

Security signals we found

01

Removal of legacy commitment format support reduces attack surface for fee-manipulation and transaction-malleability issues present in pre-anchor channels.

02

Simplified fee tolerance removes the 'too low' feerate check, relying on anchor/taproot CPFP/RBF behavior.

03

Explicit channel_type requirement prevents silent downgrade to weaker channel types.

04

Operational risk: nodes with legacy channels fail to start after upgrade, which could cause availability/funds-access issues.

05

No new cryptographic or memory-safety bug is introduced in the diff.

Risk score

Why this scored 34/100

Our methodology →
Potential impact 8/30
Exploitability 3/25
Stealth signal 4/15
Affected reach 7/15
Confidence 8/10
Evidence quality 4/5
Human-validated context

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