CVE-2017-9821 in BHIM
Summary
by MITRE
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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2020
The CVE-2017-9821 vulnerability affects the National Payments Corporation of India BHIM application version 1.3 for Android devices, presenting a critical security flaw in the authentication mechanism. This vulnerability stems from the application's reliance on three hardcoded strings for SMS validation purposes, specifically the identifiers AK-NPCIMB, IM-NPCIBM, and VK-NPCIBM. These hardcoded values create a predictable authentication pattern that undermines the security posture of the payment application. The flaw represents a significant weakness in the application's design, as it eliminates the dynamic nature of authentication tokens that should typically be generated and validated in real-time. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles by using static credentials that can be easily discovered and exploited by malicious actors. The hardcoded strings essentially provide attackers with a roadmap to bypass the intended authentication process, making the application particularly vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks and credential replay attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates poor secure coding practices and violates multiple security standards including CWE-259 and CWE-312, which address the use of hardcoded passwords and the exposure of sensitive information. The BHIM application's failure to implement proper dynamic authentication mechanisms creates a persistent security risk that remains constant across all application instances and user sessions. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by simply identifying the hardcoded strings within the application binary or through reverse engineering techniques, eliminating the need for complex exploitation methods. This type of vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1555.003, which involves credential access through software discovery and the exploitation of hardcoded credentials. The predictable nature of these strings makes them particularly attractive targets for automated exploitation tools, as attackers can programmatically test for their presence and use them to gain unauthorized access to payment functions.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-9821 extends beyond simple authentication bypass to potentially compromise the entire payment ecosystem that relies on the BHIM application. Users who authenticate through this vulnerable application may unknowingly expose their financial information to unauthorized parties, as the hardcoded strings could be used to impersonate legitimate users within the payment network. This vulnerability creates an attack surface that could enable financial fraud, unauthorized transactions, and potentially large-scale payment disruptions. The implications are particularly severe given that the BHIM application is designed for financial transactions, making it a prime target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit payment systems. The vulnerability also affects the trust model of the application, as users may lose confidence in the security of their financial transactions when hardcoded credentials are exposed. Security researchers have noted that this type of vulnerability can lead to cascading effects, where compromise of one application instance can potentially be leveraged to attack other systems that share similar hardcoded credential patterns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-9821 should focus on immediate remediation through code updates that eliminate the hardcoded strings and implement proper dynamic authentication mechanisms. The application should be redesigned to use time-based tokens, challenge-response protocols, or other dynamic authentication methods that cannot be easily predicted or reverse-engineered. Organizations should implement proper code review processes to identify and eliminate hardcoded credentials during development cycles, following secure coding guidelines from OWASP and NIST. The fix should also include runtime protection measures such as code obfuscation and anti-tampering mechanisms to make reverse engineering more difficult. Additionally, security audits should be conducted to ensure no other hardcoded credentials exist within the application or related systems. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing proper key management practices and adhering to security standards such as those outlined in ISO 27001 and NIST SP 800-53, which emphasize the need for dynamic authentication and secure credential handling. Regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments should be performed to identify similar hardcoded credential issues in other applications within the payment ecosystem.