CVE-2018-13736 in ELearningCoinERC
Summary
by MITRE
The mintToken function of a smart contract implementation for ELearningCoinERC, 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-2018-13736 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mintToken function of the ELearningCoinERC Ethereum token smart contract implementation. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation and arithmetic handling within the contract's codebase, creating a scenario where the contract owner can manipulate user balances arbitrarily. The flaw exists at the core of the token's functionality, specifically in how the contract processes token minting operations and manages user account balances.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of integer arithmetic operations within the mintToken function. When the contract processes token minting requests, it fails to properly validate or constrain the input parameters, allowing for potential overflow conditions that can be leveraged by an attacker with owner privileges. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-190, which describes integer overflow and underflow conditions in software implementations. This specific implementation flaw allows the contract owner to bypass normal balance management protocols and directly set any user's token balance to an arbitrary value, effectively enabling unlimited token creation or manipulation of user holdings.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple financial manipulation to encompass potential systemic risks within the token ecosystem. An attacker with owner access can systematically alter user balances to create artificial scarcity, manipulate market prices, or even drain funds from specific accounts. This capability undermines the fundamental trust in the token's integrity and can lead to significant financial losses for token holders. The vulnerability also creates potential for chain reaction effects where manipulated balances could trigger additional exploits or create inconsistencies in tokenomics that affect the entire platform's stability. The impact is particularly severe because it allows for precise manipulation rather than just arbitrary token generation, giving attackers complete control over individual user account balances.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate code review and implementation of proper integer overflow protections within the smart contract. The recommended approach involves implementing comprehensive input validation and using safe arithmetic operations that check for overflow conditions before performing calculations. The contract should incorporate bounds checking mechanisms and utilize established libraries or patterns that prevent integer overflows, such as those provided by OpenZeppelin's SafeMath library. Additionally, the contract owner should implement proper access controls and audit procedures to ensure that only authorized entities can execute mintToken operations. The solution should also include regular security audits and formal verification processes to identify similar vulnerabilities across the entire smart contract codebase. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability represents a privilege escalation technique that allows an attacker to manipulate the token state directly, potentially enabling further attacks through the compromised contract's functionality.