CVE-2018-13582 in My2Token
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for My2Token, 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-2018-13582 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of the My2Token Ethereum smart contract implementation. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-190 category of Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which occurs when a program performs arithmetic operations on integer values that exceed the maximum representable value for the data type. The specific flaw allows the contract owner to manipulate token balances in ways that could fundamentally compromise the integrity of the token economy. The vulnerability exists because the smart contract fails to properly validate or constrain the input parameters to the mintToken function, enabling malicious exploitation through carefully crafted integer values that wrap around to unexpected results.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates how a smart contract owner can manipulate the balance of any user account within the token system by leveraging the integer overflow condition. When the mintToken function processes token creation requests, it likely performs arithmetic operations on token amounts without proper overflow checks, allowing an attacker with owner privileges to specify values that cause the underlying integer representation to overflow. This creates a scenario where legitimate token balances can be set to arbitrary values, potentially including negative balances or extremely large values that exceed normal token supply limits. The operational impact extends beyond simple balance manipulation, as this vulnerability could enable the creation of infinite tokens or the complete depletion of token reserves, fundamentally undermining the token's economic model and security assumptions.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation and resource hijacking, as the contract owner can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized control over user token balances. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe in decentralized finance applications where token balances represent critical financial assets, as it allows for potential theft of funds or manipulation of token economics. The integer overflow condition creates a persistent security risk that remains active as long as the vulnerable smart contract exists, making it a particularly dangerous flaw for any token implementation that relies on proper balance management and access controls. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in smart contract development, as the absence of overflow checks in arithmetic operations represents a fundamental security oversight.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper integer overflow protection mechanisms within the smart contract code. Developers must implement comprehensive input validation and arithmetic operation bounds checking to prevent integer overflow conditions from occurring. The recommended approach includes using established safe math libraries or implementing explicit overflow checks before performing arithmetic operations on token amounts. Additionally, access controls should be reviewed and strengthened to ensure that only authorized parties can execute mintToken operations, while also implementing proper auditing mechanisms to detect unauthorized balance manipulations. The vulnerability highlights the necessity of thorough security auditing and formal verification processes for smart contracts, particularly those handling financial assets, as such flaws can have catastrophic consequences for token holders and the broader ecosystem. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-signature wallets and time locks for critical contract operations to add additional security layers beyond simple ownership controls.