CVE-2018-13691 in R Time Token v3
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for R Time Token v3 (RS) (Contract Name: RTokenMain), 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-2018-13691 resides within the R Time Token v3 (RS) smart contract implementation on the Ethereum blockchain, specifically within the mintToken function of the RTokenMain contract. This flaw represents a critical integer overflow vulnerability that fundamentally compromises the contract's tokenomics and security model. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and arithmetic operations within the mintToken function, allowing the contract owner to manipulate token balances in ways that violate the expected behavior of a standard token implementation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of integer arithmetic operations within the mintToken function, where the contract fails to properly validate or constrain input parameters before performing balance updates. When the owner invokes this function with malicious parameters, the integer overflow condition enables them to bypass normal token minting restrictions and directly set any user's balance to an arbitrary value. This creates a scenario where the owner can essentially create unlimited tokens for themselves or other addresses, effectively undermining the token's scarcity model and value proposition. The vulnerability operates at the core level of the contract's state management system, where balance updates are performed without proper overflow detection mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple financial manipulation to encompass fundamental trust issues within the token ecosystem and potential systemic risks to users who hold or trade the affected token. An attacker with access to the contract owner privileges can completely subvert the token's intended economic model by creating inflated balances for malicious addresses or reducing legitimate users' balances to zero. This vulnerability directly impacts the token's utility within decentralized applications and exchanges, as the inflated supply or manipulated balances would render the token value unstable and potentially worthless. The implications are particularly severe for users who rely on the token for governance rights, staking mechanisms, or other blockchain-based services that depend on accurate token balances.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate remediation through code-level fixes that implement proper integer overflow protection mechanisms. The recommended approach involves adding explicit bounds checking and validation before any arithmetic operations within the mintToken function, utilizing safe math libraries or built-in overflow detection features available in modern Solidity versions. Additionally, implementing proper access control measures and conducting thorough code audits using static analysis tools can help identify similar vulnerabilities in other contract functions. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-signature wallet systems for contract ownership and establishing regular security review processes to prevent such issues from arising in future smart contract deployments. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, Integer Overflow or Wraparound, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in smart contract security models, as outlined in the ATT&CK framework for blockchain-based attacks.