CVE-2018-13682 in ViteMoneyCoin
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for ViteMoneyCoin, 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 as CVE-2018-13682 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of the ViteMoneyCoin Ethereum token smart contract implementation. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation and arithmetic handling within the contract's codebase, creating a fundamental security weakness that directly impacts the token's integrity and user fund safety. The flaw exists in the contract's ability to process token minting operations, where the developer failed to implement proper bounds checking on integer values that could lead to unexpected behavior when handling large numerical inputs.
The technical execution of this vulnerability occurs when the contract owner invokes the mintToken function with maliciously crafted parameters that cause integer overflow conditions. This overflow allows the attacker to manipulate the token balance of any user account within the system by setting arbitrary values that exceed the maximum representable integer limits. The vulnerability manifests through the manipulation of the contract's internal accounting mechanisms, where standard integer arithmetic operations produce incorrect results when exceeding their maximum value thresholds. This type of flaw is classified as CWE-191, which specifically addresses integer underflow and overflow conditions, and represents a common pattern in smart contract development where developers fail to account for the finite nature of integer data types in blockchain environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple financial loss, as it fundamentally compromises the trust model of the token ecosystem. An attacker with access to the contract owner privileges can manipulate user balances to create unlimited tokens or set balances to zero, effectively allowing for unauthorized fund transfers or account manipulation. This vulnerability enables a range of malicious activities including but not limited to account freezing, unauthorized token creation, and potential theft of user funds. The implications for the broader Ethereum ecosystem are significant, as this flaw demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and arithmetic handling in smart contract development, particularly when dealing with financial applications where user funds are at stake. The vulnerability also exposes weaknesses in the testing and auditing processes that should have identified such fundamental flaws before deployment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action including immediate contract redeployment with proper integer overflow protections, implementation of comprehensive input validation mechanisms, and thorough security auditing of all smart contract functions. The recommended approach involves implementing safe math libraries that prevent overflow conditions, adding proper bounds checking on all integer operations, and ensuring that all arithmetic operations within the contract are protected against both overflow and underflow scenarios. Security practitioners should reference the ATT&CK framework's malicious code execution techniques to understand how such vulnerabilities can be exploited in real-world scenarios, particularly focusing on the privilege escalation and resource consumption attack patterns that can be leveraged through integer overflow conditions. Additionally, the vulnerability underscores the necessity of following established secure coding practices for blockchain development, including the use of formal verification methods and comprehensive testing protocols that specifically target edge cases in integer arithmetic operations.