CVE-2018-13467 in EpiphanyCoin
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for EpiphanyCoin, 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 • 02/26/2020
The vulnerability identified in CVE-2018-13467 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of EpiphanyCoin's smart contract implementation on the Ethereum blockchain. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation and arithmetic operations that fail to account for the maximum limits of integer data types. The flaw allows the contract owner to manipulate token balances beyond normal operational parameters, creating a fundamental security breach in the token's governance and distribution mechanisms. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous in decentralized applications where trust is placed in automated smart contracts to enforce business logic and maintain asset integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through the mintToken function's failure to properly validate or constrain integer values during token creation and distribution processes. When the contract owner invokes this function, the underlying arithmetic operations can exceed the maximum value that can be represented by the integer data type, causing the value to wrap around to zero or negative values. This overflow condition enables malicious actors with owner privileges to manipulate the balance of any user account to arbitrary values, effectively bypassing normal tokenomics and distribution controls. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper integer handling in smart contract development.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple balance manipulation, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the EpiphanyCoin token and potentially affects all stakeholders within the ecosystem. An attacker with owner privileges can artificially inflate or deflate user balances, potentially creating scenarios where users can be granted excessive token holdings or rendered unable to access their legitimate assets. This capability could be exploited to manipulate token prices, disrupt trading markets, or create unfair advantages within the token economy. The vulnerability also presents a significant risk to the overall trust model of the Ethereum-based token, as it demonstrates a critical failure in the contract's internal security controls and data validation mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of comprehensive input validation and integer overflow protection measures within the smart contract code. The primary remediation involves adding explicit bounds checking and overflow protection mechanisms to all arithmetic operations within the mintToken function and related token manipulation functions. Developers should implement require statements to validate input parameters and ensure that token amounts remain within acceptable ranges before executing any balance modifications. Additionally, the contract should incorporate overflow protection patterns such as using SafeMath libraries or similar mathematical operation wrappers that automatically detect and prevent overflow conditions. These measures align with ATT&CK technique T1548.001, which addresses privilege escalation through code injection and manipulation, by ensuring that only legitimate and constrained operations can modify token balances. The implementation of proper access controls and regular security audits should also be enforced to prevent unauthorized access to owner privileges and maintain the integrity of the token distribution system.