CVE-2018-13083 in Plaza Token
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for Plaza Token (PLAZA), 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 CVE-2018-13083 vulnerability represents a critical integer overflow flaw in the mintToken function of the Plaza Token (PLAZA) smart contract deployed on the Ethereum blockchain. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation and arithmetic operations within the token contract implementation, creating a fundamental security weakness that directly impacts the contract's integrity and user asset management capabilities. The flaw specifically affects the token's ability to properly handle large numerical values during token creation and distribution processes.
The technical execution of this vulnerability occurs when the mintToken function processes token minting operations without adequate bounds checking or overflow protection mechanisms. When an attacker exploits this weakness, they can manipulate the token supply calculations to create unintended balances for arbitrary user accounts. This integer overflow condition allows the contract owner to manipulate the balance of any user account to an arbitrary value, effectively bypassing normal token transfer and ownership controls. The vulnerability manifests through improper handling of unsigned integer arithmetic where calculations exceeding maximum representable values wrap around to zero or negative numbers, creating exploitable conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple financial loss to encompass complete contract compromise and potential systemic risks within the token ecosystem. An attacker with access to the contract owner privileges can manipulate user balances to create unlimited tokens, effectively causing a denial of service or complete loss of token value for legitimate users. This vulnerability directly undermines the fundamental principles of blockchain tokenomics and smart contract security, as it allows for unauthorized token creation and distribution that bypasses normal consensus mechanisms and user controls. The affected contract's ability to maintain accurate accounting and enforce proper token distribution becomes completely compromised.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-13083 should focus on implementing proper integer overflow protection mechanisms including explicit bounds checking, using safe arithmetic libraries, and conducting comprehensive code reviews for all smart contract implementations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which specifically addresses the improper handling of integer arithmetic operations in software systems. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1059.001 for command and script interpreter execution and T1548.001 for abuse of privileges, as it enables unauthorized privilege escalation within the token contract environment. Organizations should implement rigorous testing procedures including formal verification, static analysis, and dynamic testing to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future smart contract deployments. The incident highlights the critical importance of adhering to security best practices in blockchain development and the necessity of comprehensive security audits before deploying smart contracts to production environments.