CVE-2018-13230 in DestiNeed
Summary
by MITRE
The sell function of a smart contract implementation for DestiNeed (DSN), 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 in CVE-2018-13230 affects the DestiNeed (DSN) Ethereum token smart contract implementation, specifically targeting the sell function that governs token redemption processes. This flaw represents a critical integer overflow vulnerability that fundamentally compromises the contract's financial integrity and asset management capabilities. The issue manifests when the multiplication operation between amount and sellPrice produces a result that evaluates to zero, creating a scenario where sellers experience unintended asset reduction rather than proper token redemption.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the absence of proper input validation and arithmetic overflow protection within the smart contract's sell function implementation. When a user attempts to sell tokens, the contract calculates the total value by multiplying the token amount with the current sellPrice. However, without adequate boundary checks or overflow protection mechanisms, the arithmetic operation can produce unexpected results when dealing with large numerical values or specific edge cases. This particular condition results in a zero multiplication outcome that directly impacts the seller's asset balance, effectively reducing their holdings without proper compensation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant financial risks for token holders and undermines trust in the smart contract system. The integer overflow allows malicious actors or simply users encountering specific numerical conditions to manipulate their asset balances in unintended ways. The reduction of seller assets represents a direct financial loss that could be exploited systematically, potentially leading to substantial economic damage for affected parties. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond individual transactions to potentially destabilize the entire token economy by creating unpredictable asset flows and reducing confidence in the platform's integrity.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow and underflow conditions in software implementations. This classification indicates that the flaw represents a fundamental weakness in arithmetic operation handling that has been well-documented in cybersecurity literature and represents a common pattern in smart contract development. The issue also intersects with ATT&CK technique T1548.005, which covers abuse of run-time privilege escalation, as the vulnerability could potentially enable attackers to manipulate contract state in ways that should not be possible within normal operational parameters.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of comprehensive input validation and arithmetic overflow protection within the smart contract code. Developers should implement explicit checks to prevent multiplication operations from producing zero results when dealing with token amounts and pricing. The solution involves incorporating proper boundary validation, using safe arithmetic libraries, and implementing comprehensive testing procedures that cover edge cases including maximum value scenarios. Additionally, regular security audits and formal verification processes should be established to identify similar vulnerabilities before deployment. The fix should also include proper error handling mechanisms that prevent zero-value transactions from affecting user balances and ensure that all financial operations maintain mathematical integrity throughout their execution lifecycle.