CVE-2018-13079 in GoodTo
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for GoodTo (GTO), an Ethereum token, has an integer overflow that allows the owner of the contract to set the balance of an arbitrary user to any value.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2020
The vulnerability identified in CVE-2018-13079 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of the GoodTo (GTO) Ethereum token smart contract implementation. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and arithmetic overflow handling within the contract's codebase, creating a significant security risk for the token ecosystem. The flaw allows the contract owner to manipulate user balances arbitrarily, fundamentally compromising the integrity of the token's accounting system and potentially enabling unauthorized wealth transfer operations.
The technical execution of this vulnerability occurs through the mintToken function which fails to properly validate or constrain integer values during balance updates. When the contract owner invokes this function, they can specify arbitrary balance values for target users, effectively bypassing normal token issuance and transfer mechanisms. This integer overflow condition typically arises from using unsigned integer types without proper bounds checking, allowing mathematical operations to wrap around and produce unexpected results. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of insufficient input validation in smart contract environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple balance manipulation, creating potential cascading effects throughout the token economy. An attacker with owner privileges could artificially inflate user balances to gain unauthorized control over token distribution, potentially enabling theft of funds or manipulation of token prices. The vulnerability also undermines trust in the token's accounting system, as users cannot rely on accurate balance reporting. From an attack perspective, this flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.006 for smart contract exploitation and represents a privilege escalation vector that could compromise the entire token ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper integer bounds checking and input validation within the mintToken function. Smart contract developers must employ overflow protection mechanisms such as OpenZeppelin's SafeMath library or equivalent arithmetic libraries that automatically detect and prevent overflow conditions. Additionally, contract owners should implement proper access control measures and consider using multi-signature wallets for critical operations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of thorough smart contract auditing and adherence to secure coding practices, particularly for functions that handle token balances and ownership transfers. Regular security assessments and formal verification techniques should be employed to identify similar vulnerabilities in token implementations, ensuring robust protection against integer overflow exploits that could compromise entire blockchain-based financial systems.