CVE-2018-13552 in Trabet_Coin_PreICO
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for Trabet_Coin_PreICO, 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 as CVE-2018-13552 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of the Trabet_Coin_PreICO Ethereum token smart contract implementation. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and arithmetic operation handling within the smart contract code, creating a scenario where the contract owner can manipulate user balances arbitrarily. The flaw exists at the core level of the token's functionality, specifically in how the contract processes token minting operations that affect user account balances.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the mintToken function failing to properly validate or constrain integer values during arithmetic operations that modify user balances. When the contract owner invokes this function, they can exploit the overflow condition to set any user's balance to an arbitrary value, effectively bypassing the normal token distribution and accounting mechanisms. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-190 category of integer overflow and under the broader CWE-682 category of incorrect arithmetic operations. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental lack of proper bounds checking and overflow protection in the smart contract's mathematical operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching within the context of the Ethereum blockchain ecosystem. An attacker with contract ownership privileges can manipulate token distributions, potentially creating unlimited supply tokens, manipulating market prices, or transferring ownership to malicious parties. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental trust model of the token system, as it allows the contract owner to manipulate user balances without detection, potentially leading to complete loss of funds for affected users and destruction of the token's value proposition. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for financial fraud and market manipulation through the ability to artificially inflate or deflate user balances.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper integer overflow protection mechanisms within the smart contract code. The recommended approach involves implementing comprehensive input validation, utilizing safe arithmetic libraries, and incorporating overflow detection mechanisms before any balance modifications occur. Smart contract developers should adopt defensive programming practices including the use of libraries such as OpenZeppelin's SafeMath implementation to prevent integer overflows. Additionally, the contract should implement proper access controls and audit trails to track all balance modifications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of rigorous smart contract auditing and adherence to security best practices as outlined in the OWASP Smart Contract Security Guidelines and the Ethereum Smart Contract Best Practices recommendations, which emphasize the need for comprehensive testing and validation of all arithmetic operations within blockchain applications.