CVE-2018-13534 in SpeedCashLite
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for SpeedCashLite (SCSL), 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-2018-13534 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of the SpeedCashLite (SCSL) Ethereum token smart contract implementation. This vulnerability resides in the contract's token issuance mechanism where the owner can manipulate user balances through improper integer handling. The flaw allows for arbitrary balance manipulation by exploiting the lack of proper overflow checks during arithmetic operations, creating a fundamental weakness in the token's accounting system. Such vulnerabilities typically arise from insufficient input validation and inadequate boundary checking in smart contract code, particularly when dealing with large numerical values that exceed the maximum limits of the underlying data types.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the mintToken function processes token minting operations without proper overflow protection mechanisms. When the contract attempts to increment user balances or perform arithmetic operations on token amounts, the integer overflow allows malicious actors to manipulate the resulting values beyond normal operational bounds. This creates a scenario where the owner can effectively set any user's balance to an arbitrary value, potentially including negative balances or extremely large values that could disrupt the entire token economy. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-190, Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which specifically addresses issues where integer arithmetic operations produce results that exceed the maximum value that can be represented by the data type. This flaw represents a fundamental failure in secure coding practices for blockchain applications where financial integrity is paramount.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple balance manipulation to potentially compromise the entire token ecosystem and user funds. An attacker with access to the owner account could drain funds from other users by setting their balances to zero, or conversely, inflate balances to create artificial wealth that could be exploited for fraudulent transactions. The vulnerability undermines the trust model inherent in blockchain systems where all participants rely on deterministic and secure smart contract execution. Users who hold SCSL tokens would face immediate financial risks as their balances become unpredictable and controllable by the contract owner. This type of vulnerability also affects the token's market value and reputation, potentially leading to complete loss of user confidence and economic disruption within the token's ecosystem. The impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.006 for Smart Contract Manipulation, where adversaries exploit code-level weaknesses to gain unauthorized control over token balances.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate remediation of the smart contract code through comprehensive input validation and overflow protection mechanisms. The mintToken function must implement proper boundary checks using libraries like OpenZeppelin's SafeMath or similar arithmetic libraries that prevent overflow conditions during token operations. Contract owners should conduct thorough security audits and employ formal verification methods to identify similar vulnerabilities in other contract functions. Additionally, implementing multi-signature ownership mechanisms and time locks for critical operations can reduce the attack surface and provide additional security layers. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding standards for blockchain applications and emphasizes the need for comprehensive testing including fuzzing and symbolic execution to identify potential integer overflow conditions before deployment. Regular security updates and community audits remain essential for maintaining the integrity of token contracts in the evolving blockchain security landscape.