Core Lightning Bug Causes Recurring Node Crashes

A vulnerability in the Core Lightning software used on the Bitcoin payment network is keeping nodes in a crash loop following updates. The issue occurs because malicious advertisements saved on the system disk are automatically reloaded during the restart process.

Researcher Nishant Bansal identified that versions v25.02 through v26.04 are susceptible to this flaw. The error happens when a channel advertisement points to the same node as both connection endpoints. The system attempts to process this duplicate record which triggers a critical failure in the network component.

Although a fix was integrated in April within version v26.04.1, the patch only prevents new malicious data from entering. The software does not automatically delete corrupted records that were already stored in the gossip_store file before the update.

Node operators must manually remove these records to restore normal operations. The flaw persists if the attacker sends the advertisement again as long as the funding output they control remains active.

The digital asset market may face temporary instability in Lightning network liquidity if operators fail to manually clean the corrupted files on their nodes.