Ethical Hacker Raises Alarm Over CBSE Website Vulnerabilities, Government Unresponsive
Highlighted flaws in CBSE site to govt, got no response: Ethical hacker
Image: Deccan Herald
Nisarga Adhikary, a 19-year-old ethical hacker, reported critical vulnerabilities in the CBSE's On-Screen Marking portal since February but has received no response from the government. Despite his warnings, CBSE denies any hacking incidents, claiming the portal is secure.
- 01Nisarga Adhikary identified several critical vulnerabilities in the CBSE's On-Screen Marking portal that could compromise exam integrity.
- 02The main flaw involves a masterkey password vulnerability, allowing unauthorized access to examination accounts.
- 03Adhikary has reached out multiple times to the Ministry of Education and other authorities but received only a 'thank you' in response.
- 04CBSE has publicly denied any claims of hacking or vulnerabilities, asserting that the portal is secure.
- 05Concerns about wrongful marking and mismatched answer sheets have also been raised by students.
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Nisarga Adhikary, a 19-year-old ethical hacker, has been vocal about significant vulnerabilities he discovered in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) website used for On-Screen Marking (OSM) of Class 12 answer sheets. Since February, he has alerted the Ministry of Education, CBSE, and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) but has not received a substantive response, only a brief acknowledgment. Adhikary highlighted a critical flaw involving a masterkey password vulnerability, which could allow unauthorized individuals to tamper with exam evaluations. In contrast, CBSE has denied the existence of any security issues, claiming the portal has not been compromised. CBSE's Regional Head, Rajesh Kumar Gupta, also rejected allegations of hacking, emphasizing that exams are conducted offline. Meanwhile, students have expressed concerns over discrepancies in answer sheets and issues with revaluation fees, prompting meetings between the education minister and public sector banks.
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The vulnerabilities in the CBSE portal could jeopardize the integrity of exam evaluations for millions of students.
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