CVE-2018-13714 in CM
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for CM, 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 described in CVE-2018-13714 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for the CM Ethereum token. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-190 category of integer overflow or wraparound, which occurs when arithmetic operations produce results that exceed the maximum value that can be stored in the allocated data type. The specific implementation flaw allows the contract owner to manipulate user balances through a miscalculated arithmetic operation that can cause the balance value to wrap around to an unexpected or malicious value.
The technical execution of this vulnerability relies on the improper handling of integer arithmetic within the smart contract's mintToken function. When the contract owner invokes this function with carefully crafted parameters, the integer overflow condition is triggered, enabling the manipulation of any user's token balance to an arbitrary value. This represents a fundamental breach of the contract's integrity and the underlying assumption that token balances are properly maintained through legitimate operations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it grants the contract owner elevated privileges beyond normal operational boundaries, effectively allowing for unauthorized balance manipulation that can result in significant financial loss or contract disruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple balance manipulation to encompass potential systemic risks within the Ethereum token ecosystem. An attacker who can exploit this vulnerability can effectively drain funds from other users or inflate their own holdings, creating an environment of distrust and financial instability. The consequences may include unauthorized wealth redistribution, contract value manipulation, and potential loss of investor confidence in the token. This vulnerability directly impacts the security properties of the smart contract, specifically compromising the integrity and availability of the token distribution mechanism.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must focus on implementing proper integer overflow protections within smart contract code. The recommended approach involves incorporating explicit bounds checking and using safe arithmetic libraries that prevent overflow conditions. Developers should implement validation checks to ensure that arithmetic operations do not exceed the maximum allowable values for the data types used. Additionally, the contract should enforce proper access controls and audit mechanisms to detect unauthorized balance modifications. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of thorough code review processes and formal verification techniques that can identify such arithmetic flaws before deployment. Security practitioners should reference the ATT&CK framework's software supply chain attacks category when assessing the risk of such vulnerabilities, as they represent a critical weakness that can be exploited to compromise the entire smart contract system and potentially affect other contracts that interact with it.