CVE-2018-10666 in IDEX Membership
Summary
by MITRE
The Owned smart contract implementation for Aurora IDEX Membership (IDXM), an Ethereum ERC20 token, allows attackers to acquire contract ownership because the setOwner function is declared as public. A new owner can subsequently modify variables.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10666 resides within the Owned smart contract implementation of Aurora IDEX Membership (IDXM), an Ethereum ERC20 token that operates on the blockchain infrastructure. This flaw represents a critical security oversight in the token's governance mechanism, where the setOwner function lacks proper access controls despite being designated as a critical administrative function. The implementation violates fundamental smart contract security principles by exposing the ownership transfer mechanism to any external actor on the Ethereum network, effectively undermining the decentralized trust model that blockchain applications are designed to uphold.
The technical flaw manifests through the improper declaration of the setOwner function as public within the smart contract code structure. This designation allows any Ethereum address to invoke the function and assume control of the contract, bypassing all intended authorization mechanisms. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-284: Improper Access Control, which specifically addresses inadequate access restrictions in software systems. In blockchain environments, this translates to the absence of proper role-based access control where administrative functions should be restricted to authorized parties only. The flaw enables attackers to exploit the contract's governance layer by simply calling the setOwner function with their desired address, thereby gaining complete control over the token's operational parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple ownership takeover, as the new owner gains unrestricted access to modify critical contract variables and potentially manipulate the token's functionality. This includes the ability to alter token distribution mechanisms, modify transfer restrictions, change administrative privileges, and potentially drain contract funds if any financial assets are held within the smart contract. The implications are particularly severe for the IDXM token ecosystem, as it compromises the integrity of the token's governance structure and creates an attack surface that can be exploited for financial gain or operational disruption. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.001: Abuse Elevation of Privilege, where adversaries exploit weak access controls to escalate their privileges within the system.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate implementation of access control mechanisms within the smart contract code. The setOwner function must be restricted to authorized addresses through modifiers such as onlyOwner, which ensures that only the current contract owner can invoke ownership transfer functions. Additionally, the contract should implement proper access control patterns that align with Ethereum best practices, including the use of role-based access control mechanisms and multi-signature requirements for critical administrative functions. Security audits should be conducted to identify and remediate similar access control vulnerabilities throughout the smart contract codebase, as this type of flaw often indicates broader architectural security gaps that require comprehensive review and remediation.