CVE-2018-13724 in HYIPCrowdsale1
Summary
by MITRE
The mint function of a smart contract implementation for HYIPCrowdsale1, 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-2018-13724 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mint function of HYIPCrowdsale1 smart contract implementation on the Ethereum blockchain. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and arithmetic handling within the contract's code, specifically affecting the token distribution mechanism during the crowdsale phase. The flaw allows the contract owner to manipulate user balances arbitrarily, fundamentally compromising the integrity of the token economy and user fund protection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through improper handling of integer arithmetic operations within the mint function. When the contract processes token minting requests, it fails to validate that the resulting integer values remain within the acceptable bounds of the data type being used. This oversight creates an exploitable condition where an attacker with owner privileges can manipulate the internal accounting system to set any user's token balance to an arbitrary value. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-190, Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which occurs when an integer operation produces a result that exceeds the maximum value that can be represented by the data type, leading to unexpected behavior and potential security breaches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple financial manipulation to encompass fundamental trust and security breaches within the token ecosystem. An attacker with owner access can inflate user balances to create artificial scarcity, manipulate token distribution, or even drain the contract's reserves by setting balances to extremely high values that cause subsequent operations to fail. This vulnerability undermines the core principles of decentralized finance and blockchain security, as it allows centralized control over what should be a transparent and immutable token distribution process. The consequences include potential loss of user funds, market manipulation, and complete compromise of the token's economic model.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of comprehensive input validation and integer overflow protection mechanisms within the smart contract code. The recommended approach involves adding explicit boundary checks before any arithmetic operations, implementing safe math libraries, and ensuring that all integer operations are performed within validated ranges. Additionally, the contract should undergo thorough code auditing and formal verification processes to identify similar vulnerabilities. The remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1587.001, which focuses on developing or acquiring code, as the solution requires fundamental code modifications and security enhancements. Organizations should also implement proper access controls and consider multi-signature ownership structures to reduce the risk of unauthorized exploitation, while ensuring that all contract upgrades follow secure development practices and undergo independent security assessments.