CVE-2018-13702 in Essence
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for Essence, 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-2018-13702 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of an Ethereum-based smart contract implementation for the Essence token. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-190 category of integer overflow and under the ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for execution through smart contract manipulation. The flaw exists in the contract's token minting mechanism where the owner can manipulate the balance of any user account to arbitrary values, fundamentally compromising the token's integrity and the underlying blockchain's trust model.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and arithmetic operations within the mintToken function. When the contract processes token minting requests, it fails to properly validate the input parameters before performing arithmetic operations that could result in integer overflow conditions. This allows an attacker with owner privileges to manipulate the balance calculation in such a way that the resulting value wraps around to an unexpected or malicious value. The vulnerability specifically affects the token supply mechanism and user balance management, creating a scenario where the owner can effectively create unlimited tokens or manipulate existing balances without proper authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted for the Essence token ecosystem. An attacker with owner access can arbitrarily increase their own token holdings or manipulate other users' balances, potentially leading to massive financial losses for token holders and undermining the entire token economy. The vulnerability enables the creation of an unlimited supply of tokens through controlled overflow conditions, effectively causing a devaluation of the existing token supply and potentially leading to a complete loss of value for legitimate token holders. Additionally, this flaw can be exploited to manipulate token distributions, create artificial market conditions, and compromise the fundamental principles of blockchain-based tokenomics.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-13702 require immediate attention through comprehensive code review and smart contract auditing practices. The primary remediation involves implementing proper input validation and bounds checking within the mintToken function to prevent integer overflow conditions. Developers should utilize safe arithmetic libraries and employ explicit overflow detection mechanisms before performing any arithmetic operations that could result in value wrapping. Additionally, the contract should implement proper access controls and audit logging to track all minting operations and balance modifications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Smart Contract Security Verification Standard and emphasizes the need for comprehensive testing including boundary condition testing and formal verification methods to prevent similar issues in future smart contract implementations.