Bitcoin Core Speeds Up Bug Fixes As AI Changes Disclosure Rules

TL;DR: Bitcoin Core has adopted faster fixes and disclosure for vulnerabilities that are easy to rediscover, including with AI. Longer embargoes remain available for other security flaws. Bitcoin Core is changing the timetable for dealing with security flaws that an attacker can uncover with little effort. The practical question is whether waiting to explain a bug still protects users when software can rediscover it almost immediately. A policy update merged on October 22 creates a faster route for these cases. Developer Antoine Poinsot argued that large language models have made some problems easier to find, including by identifying fixes that were intended to attract little attention. That creates a difficult choice for the people maintaining Bitcoin software: withholding details can buy upgrade time, but delaying a usable patch can also leave operators exposed. Faster Releases For Easily Rediscovered Flaws The updated disclosure policy allows developers to classify a reported vulnerability as easily discoverable. A simple AI prompt is one example; the category also covers problems found with minimal effort through other means. For those vulnerabilities, maintainers plan to issue...