CVE-2018-13706 in IdeaCoin
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for IdeaCoin, 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-2018-13706 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of IdeaCoin smart contract implementation on the Ethereum blockchain. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation and arithmetic handling within the token contract's code, specifically affecting the balance management functionality. The flaw allows an attacker with contract ownership privileges to manipulate user balances arbitrarily, potentially leading to significant financial losses and contract integrity breaches.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through unchecked arithmetic operations that exceed the maximum value representable by the data type used for balance tracking. When the mintToken function processes token minting operations, it fails to validate that the resulting balance values remain within acceptable numeric bounds. This oversight creates a scenario where mathematical operations can wrap around to zero or negative values, enabling attackers to bypass normal balance limits and set any user account to an arbitrary balance value. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-191, which specifically addresses integer underflow and overflow conditions in software implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple balance manipulation to encompass potential systemic risks within the token ecosystem. An attacker with ownership access can artificially inflate their own balance or drain other users' balances, effectively creating a scenario where the contract's economic model becomes compromised. This manipulation capability undermines the fundamental trust in the token's accounting system and can lead to significant financial losses for token holders. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for gaming the token distribution mechanisms and potentially enables more sophisticated attacks such as reentrancy exploits or other contract manipulation techniques.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability require comprehensive code review and implementation of proper arithmetic boundary checks within the smart contract. Developers should implement explicit validation routines that verify all balance calculations remain within acceptable ranges before updating account balances. The solution involves incorporating overflow protection mechanisms such as require statements that validate input parameters and ensure arithmetic operations do not exceed maximum data type limits. Additionally, implementing proper access control measures and conducting thorough security audits of all smart contract functions can prevent unauthorized manipulation of critical contract parameters. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for executing malicious code through smart contract manipulation, emphasizing the need for robust input validation and mathematical operation safety in blockchain applications.