CVE-2018-13511 in CorelliCoin
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for CorelliCoin, 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 • 02/27/2020
The vulnerability identified in CVE-2018-13511 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of the CorelliCoin Ethereum token smart contract implementation. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-190 category of integer overflow and under the ATT&CK technique T1059.006 for execution through smart contracts. The flaw specifically manifests when the mintToken function processes token minting operations, allowing the contract owner to manipulate user balances beyond normal operational limits.
The technical execution of this vulnerability occurs through the improper handling of integer arithmetic within the smart contract's mintToken function. When the contract owner invokes this function with specific parameters, the integer overflow condition enables them to manipulate the balance of any user account to an arbitrary value. This occurs because the contract fails to implement proper overflow checks before performing arithmetic operations on token balances. The vulnerability exploits the fundamental nature of integer arithmetic in blockchain smart contracts where operations that exceed maximum integer values wrap around to minimum values, creating exploitable conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for the CorelliCoin ecosystem. An attacker with contract ownership privileges can manipulate token distributions to their advantage, potentially creating unlimited tokens or setting other users' balances to malicious values. This capability directly undermines the integrity of the token economy and can lead to significant financial losses for users and the project itself. The vulnerability affects all users of the CorelliCoin token who rely on the smart contract for legitimate transactions and balance management. The potential for exploitation extends beyond simple balance manipulation to include more sophisticated attacks such as creating artificial scarcity or manipulating token prices through artificial balance inflation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper integer overflow protections within the smart contract code. The recommended approach involves adding explicit overflow checks before any arithmetic operations on token balances, utilizing safe math libraries such as OpenZeppelin's SafeMath implementation, and implementing comprehensive testing procedures including formal verification. Additionally, contract owners should conduct thorough security audits and consider implementing multi-signature ownership mechanisms to reduce the risk associated with single points of failure. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and arithmetic operation handling in smart contract development, aligning with industry best practices outlined in the Ethereum Smart Contract Security Best Practices guidelines and the Solidity documentation's recommendations for preventing integer overflows.