CVE-2018-13212 in EthereumLegit
Summary
by MITRE
The sell function of a smart contract implementation for EthereumLegit, an Ethereum token, has an integer overflow in which "amount * sellPrice" can be zero, consequently reducing a seller's assets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/25/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-13212 resides within the EthereumLegit token smart contract implementation, specifically within its sell function where a critical integer overflow condition exists. This flaw represents a classic example of improper input validation and arithmetic operation handling in blockchain smart contracts. The vulnerability manifests when the multiplication operation "amount * sellPrice" results in zero, which occurs due to the lack of proper overflow checking mechanisms in the contract's arithmetic operations. This condition directly impacts the token's economic model and asset management system, creating a scenario where sellers may lose assets or receive incorrect compensation for their token holdings.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of overflow protection mechanisms in the smart contract's arithmetic calculations. When the sell function processes a transaction, it performs a multiplication between the amount of tokens being sold and the current sell price to determine the total value. However, without proper integer overflow checks, the multiplication can result in an unexpected zero value under certain conditions. This behavior violates the fundamental principles of secure smart contract development and aligns with CWE-190, which addresses integer overflow and underflow conditions in software implementations. The vulnerability allows for manipulation of the token economy where sellers may receive zero value for their tokens or have their assets incorrectly calculated, fundamentally undermining the trust and integrity of the token's economic system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple financial loss to encompass broader security and trust implications for the EthereumLegit token ecosystem. Attackers can exploit this condition to manipulate their token holdings and potentially drain assets from sellers who attempt to liquidate their positions. The vulnerability creates a scenario where legitimate transactions may fail or produce incorrect results, leading to potential financial losses for users and undermining the token's utility within the Ethereum blockchain environment. This flaw directly impacts the contract's ability to maintain accurate accounting and asset management, potentially allowing for unauthorized value transfers or asset depletion that could compromise the entire token's economic model and user confidence.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper integer overflow protection mechanisms within the smart contract code. The recommended approach involves incorporating explicit overflow checks before arithmetic operations, utilizing secure libraries such as OpenZeppelin's SafeMath or similar implementations that provide built-in protection against integer overflows. Additionally, developers should implement comprehensive input validation and boundary checking for all arithmetic operations within the contract, ensuring that multiplication operations do not result in zero values under normal operating conditions. The fix should also include proper error handling and transaction rollback mechanisms that prevent invalid operations from affecting the contract state. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability represents a software vulnerability exploitation technique that could be leveraged to perform financial manipulation attacks against smart contract systems, emphasizing the need for robust defensive programming practices in blockchain applications.