CVE-2018-13574 in DataShieldCoin
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for DataShieldCoin, 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-2018-13574 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of DataShieldCoin's Ethereum smart contract implementation. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation and arithmetic handling within the contract's token generation mechanism, creating a scenario where the contract owner can manipulate user balances arbitrarily. The flaw exists at the core of the contract's tokenomics system, fundamentally compromising the integrity of the token distribution and user account management.
The technical execution of this vulnerability occurs through the mintToken function's failure to properly validate or constrain integer values during balance calculations. When the contract owner invokes this function, the lack of overflow protection allows for manipulation of the token balance calculation, enabling the owner to set any user's balance to an arbitrary value. This represents a direct violation of the fundamental principles of smart contract security and blockchain integrity. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which specifically addresses the improper handling of integer arithmetic operations that can result in unexpected behavior. The issue manifests when the contract performs mathematical operations on token amounts without proper bounds checking, creating an environment where malicious or accidental integer overflow can occur.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple balance manipulation, fundamentally undermining the trust and security model of the DataShieldCoin ecosystem. An attacker with contract ownership privileges can arbitrarily inflate or deflate user balances, potentially creating unlimited supply conditions or zeroing out user holdings. This capability enables a range of malicious activities including but not limited to creating artificial market conditions, manipulating token distributions, or executing unauthorized transfers. The vulnerability directly impacts the contract's core functionality and user trust, potentially leading to complete loss of value for token holders and undermining the entire token economy. The implications for the broader Ethereum ecosystem are significant as such vulnerabilities can compromise the integrity of token standards and protocols that rely on proper balance management.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security architecture improvements. The primary fix involves implementing proper integer overflow protection through explicit bounds checking and validation of all input parameters within the mintToken function. This includes utilizing safe arithmetic operations or libraries that prevent overflow conditions, such as OpenZeppelin's SafeMath library, which provides checked math operations that revert on overflow. Additionally, contract owners should implement proper access controls and audit procedures to prevent unauthorized execution of privileged functions. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of comprehensive smart contract auditing and adherence to security best practices, including the principle of least privilege and defensive programming techniques. Organizations should implement regular security reviews and consider using formal verification methods to identify similar vulnerabilities in smart contract implementations. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique where an attacker with limited access can gain elevated privileges through exploitation of integer overflow vulnerabilities, making it a critical concern for blockchain security operations.