CVE-2017-9821: The National Payments Corporation of India BHIM application 1.3 for Android relies on three hardcoded strings

This month

CRITICAL 9.8REMOTEDOWNGRADE

CVE-2017-9821 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.8) affecting bharat interface for money \(bhim\). Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The National Payments Corporation of India BHIM application 1.3 for Android relies on three hardcoded strings (AK-NPCIMB, IM-NPCIBM, and VK-NPCIBM) for SMS validation, which makes it easier for attackers to bypass authentication.

Why this priority

Critical severity
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	9.8 (Critical)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	1.4% (top 27%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-798
Published	2018-08-24
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: npci

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2018-08-24 21:29 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 01:28 UTCUpdated Record last modified

npci bharat interface for money \(bhim\) DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.3

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.3

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy bharat-interface-for-money-bhim || rpm -q bharat-interface-for-money-bhim || bharat-interface-for-money-bhim --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison bharat-interface-for-money-bhim sudo apt install bharat-interface-for-money-bhim=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.3> sudo apt-mark hold bharat-interface-for-money-bhim

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list bharat-interface-for-money-bhim sudo dnf downgrade bharat-interface-for-money-bhim-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.3> sudo dnf versionlock add bharat-interface-for-money-bhim

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2017-9821?

bharat interface for money \(bhim\): downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2017-9821 being exploited?

CVE-2017-9821 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2017-9821 affect?

CVE-2017-9821 affects bharat interface for money \(bhim\). Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). The National Payments Corporation of India BHIM application 1.3 for Android relies on three hardcoded strings (AK-NPCIMB, IM-NPCIBM, and VK-NPCIBM) for SMS validation, which makes it easier for attackers to bypass authentication.

How urgent is CVE-2017-9821?

Priority 58/100. Critical severity; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

Software pages

Android vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2017-9820 CRITICAL 9.8 DOWNGRADE The National Payments Corporation of India BHIM application 1.3 for Android uses a custom keypad for which the
CVE-2017-9819 CRITICAL 9.8 DOWNGRADE The National Payments Corporation of India BHIM application 1.3 for Android does not properly restrict use of
CVE-2017-9818 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE The National Payments Corporation of India BHIM application 1.3 for Android relies on a four-digit passcode, w

References

← Back to latest CVEs