The Central Board of Secondary Education (Central Board of Secondary Education) is facing fresh criticism after student ethical hackers revealed major security flaws in its newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system used for Class 12 board exam evaluation.
The controversy began when 19-year-old cybersecurity researcher Nisarga Adhikary published a blog post claiming he found serious vulnerabilities in the CBSE portal. According to reports, the flaws could have allowed unauthorized access to examiner accounts and student answer sheets.
What Is the OSM System?
CBSE introduced the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system in 2026 to digitize the evaluation of Class 12 answer sheets. Under this process, answer sheets are scanned and uploaded online, allowing examiners to check copies digitally instead of using physical papers.
The move was aimed at making evaluation faster and more transparent. However, the system has recently faced multiple complaints from students regarding wrong answer sheets, portal crashes, payment glitches, and now cybersecurity concerns.
What Did the Student Hackers Discover?
According to the reports, Nisarga Adhikary claimed he discovered:
- A “hardcoded master password” inside the portal’s code
- Weak authentication systems
- OTP bypass vulnerabilities
- The ability to log in as an examiner using publicly available information
The student said he reported the issues to CERT-In, India’s cybersecurity emergency response agency, in February 2026.
Another student researcher, 18-year-old Sarthak Sidhant, alleged that CBSE modified tender conditions in a way that favoured a private vendor called Coempt Edu Teck, which was handling the digital evaluation infrastructure, according to The Jan Post.
Students Report Wrong Answer Sheets and Portal Errors
The issue gained more attention after several students claimed they received incorrect scanned copies of answer sheets during the re-evaluation process.
One Class 12 student reportedly discovered that the Physics answer sheet uploaded on the portal did not belong to him. Similar complaints regarding mismatched copies and blurred scans also surfaced online.
Students additionally complained about:
- Extremely high or unusually low payment amounts on the portal
- Failed transactions
- Website crashes during answer sheet access
CBSE later admitted that some technical discrepancies had occurred and assured students that the issues would be fixed.
CBSE Responds to Hacking Claims
CBSE clarified that the actual evaluation portal used for checking answer sheets was not hacked. The board stated that the alleged breach involved only a testing platform containing sample data and not the live evaluation system.
However, the board also acknowledged that vulnerabilities existed in parts of the system connected to scanned answer sheets. CBSE said cybersecurity experts and IIT teams were working to strengthen the infrastructure and secure the portal.
Why This Matters
The controversy has raised serious questions about:
- Student data privacy
- Security of digital examination systems
- Accuracy in board evaluation
- Transparency in awarding technology contracts
The incident comes at a time when students across India are already concerned about technical failures and exam-related controversies in major national examinations.
What Students Should Know
CBSE has assured students that:
- Technical flaws are being fixed
- Student complaints are being reviewed
- Vulnerabilities reported by ethical hackers are under investigation
Students who face issues with answer sheets or portal access are advised to regularly check CBSE updates and contact their schools or regional CBSE offices for support.
Read Also: CBSE Opens Class 12 Re-Evaluation Portal 2026
