CVE-2018-15552 - Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG)

Severity

75%

Complexity

39%

Confidentiality

60%

The "PayWinner" function of a simplelottery smart contract implementation for The Ethereum Lottery, an Ethereum gambling game, generates a random value with publicly readable variable "maxTickets" (which is private, yet predictable and readable by the eth.getStorageAt function). Therefore, it allows attackers to always win and get rewards.

The "PayWinner" function of a simplelottery smart contract implementation for The Ethereum Lottery, an Ethereum gambling game, generates a random value with publicly readable variable "maxTickets" (which is private, yet predictable and readable by the eth.getStorageAt function). Therefore, it allows attackers to always win and get rewards.

CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.5. CVSS Attack Vector: network. CVSS Attack Complexity: low. CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

CVSS 2.0 Base Score 5. CVSS Attack Vector: network. CVSS Attack Complexity: low. CVSS Vector: (AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N).

Demo Examples

Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG)

CWE-338

Both of these examples use a statistical PRNG to generate a random number:


               
int accountID = random.nextInt();

               
int randNum = rand();

The random number functions used in these examples, rand() and Random.nextInt(), are not considered cryptographically strong. An attacker may be able to predict the random numbers generated by these functions. Note that these example also exhibit CWE-337 (Predictable Seed in PRNG).

Overview

First reported 6 years ago

2018-09-07 22:29:00

Last updated 5 years ago

2019-09-16 15:38:00

Affected Software

The Ethereum Lottery

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