Bitcoin Core 32 enters final testing with faster validation, fee changes and security fixes
Nodes can now fetch transaction data from their databases using several processing threads at once while checking blocks. Bitcoin Core will use eight of those threads by default, reducing time spent waiting for information stored on disk when a node is catching up with the blockchain.
Developers also fixed a flaw that had existed since Bitcoin Core 24.0 on non-Windows systems.
An authenticated user with permission to create wallets could give one a specially crafted name and, under certain conditions, cause commands to run on the computer hosting the node. The attack required the operator to have enabled walletnotify, a feature that automatically runs a chosen command when a wallet transaction occurs. Bitcoin Core 32 treats wallet names as literal text instead of allowing parts of the name to be interpreted as commands.
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Wallet changes and a memory flaw
Four Bitcoin Core commands used to create partially signed transactions will also start using the newer PSBT version 2 format by default. Those transactions are commonly passed between wallet software and signing devices before bitcoin is sent.
Applications can still request the older format, but services built directly around those Core commands will need to make sure they support version 2.