CVE-2018-13608 in archercoin
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for archercoin, 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 • 02/28/2020
The vulnerability identified in CVE-2018-13608 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of an Ethereum-based smart contract implementation for the archercoin token. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation and arithmetic handling within the contract's code, specifically when processing token minting operations. The flaw allows the contract owner to manipulate user balances arbitrarily, creating a fundamental security breach that undermines the token's integrity and trust model. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-190 integer overflow condition where the contract fails to properly validate or constrain numeric inputs during arithmetic operations, leading to unexpected behavior when dealing with maximum integer values.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the mintToken function which lacks proper bounds checking and overflow protection mechanisms. When the contract owner invokes this function with carefully crafted parameters, the integer overflow allows them to manipulate the balance of any user account within the token system. This creates a scenario where the owner can set a user's balance to any arbitrary value, including negative values or values exceeding the maximum representable integer for the token's balance type. The underlying issue manifests when arithmetic operations exceed the maximum value that can be stored in the designated data type, causing the value to wrap around to an unexpected result, which the attacker can then leverage for malicious purposes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple financial manipulation to encompass potential system-wide compromise and loss of user trust. An attacker with owner privileges can effectively drain user accounts, create unlimited token supply, or manipulate token distributions to gain unfair advantages. This vulnerability directly impacts the token's utility and value proposition, as users lose confidence in the system's ability to maintain accurate balances and prevent unauthorized manipulation. The consequences include potential financial losses for token holders, disruption of trading activities, and damage to the overall ecosystem that relies on the token's integrity and predictable behavior.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate code remediation and comprehensive security review of the smart contract implementation. The primary solution involves implementing proper input validation and arithmetic overflow checks within the mintToken function, ensuring that all numeric operations include bounds checking and appropriate error handling. Developers should employ safe arithmetic libraries or compiler features that automatically detect and prevent integer overflows. Additionally, the contract should implement proper access controls and audit logging to track all minting operations and balance modifications. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for code injection and T1548.001 for privilege escalation, as it allows the contract owner to manipulate system state beyond their intended authority. Regular security audits and formal verification of smart contracts should become standard practice to prevent similar vulnerabilities in token implementations, as outlined in industry best practices for blockchain security and smart contract development standards.