# CVE-2022-44797: btcd mishandles witness size checking

> Attackers can cause a denial of service in btcd and lnd by exploiting improper witness size validation.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 7 Nov 2022
- **Updated:** 1 May 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2chg-86hq-7w38, GO-2022-1098, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-44797

## What is CVE-2022-44797?

CVE-2022-44797 is a critical denial of service vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Nov 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

btcd before 0.23.2, as used in Lightning Labs lnd before 0.15.2-beta and other Bitcoin-related products, mishandles witness size checking.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-44797?

5 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/btcsuite/btcd and github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/btcsuite/btcd` | Go | All versions | 0.23.2 |
| `github.com/btcsuite/btcd` | Go | All versions | 0.23.2 |
| `github.com/btcsuite/btcd` | Go | All versions | 0.23.2 |
| `github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd` | Go | All versions | 0.15.2-beta |
| `github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd` | Go | All versions | 0.15.2-beta |

Products: Btcd Project Btcd.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-44797?

Upgrade github.com/btcsuite/btcd to 0.23.2 or later.

## Is CVE-2022-44797 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-44797 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2022-39389](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-39389/): Witness Block Parsing DoS Vulnerability in lnd (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2024-34478](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-34478/): btcd susceptible to consensus failures (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2024-38365](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38365/): btcd did not correctly re-implement Bitcoin Core's "FindAndDelete()" functionality (high 7.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-44797 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-44797 is a critical denial of service vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Nov 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-44797 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/btcsuite/btcd (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.23.2
- github.com/btcsuite/btcd (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.23.2
- github.com/btcsuite/btcd (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.23.2
- github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.15.2-beta
- github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.15.2-beta

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-44797/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-44797/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-44797
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-44797
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-44797

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-44797/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.