CBSE re-evaluation portal hit by cyberattacks and login errors

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) re-evaluation portal has been plagued by a series of technical glitches and cyberattacks since its launch. Initially delayed by four days, the portal, which went live on June 2, 2026, immediately began experiencing issues such as login errors, frozen screens, and verification failures for students attempting to apply for mark verification and re-evaluation. Adding to the technical difficulties, the portal was subjected to a significant cyberattack on its opening day. Malicious actors attempted to disrupt services through a barrage of cyberattacks, including a denial-of-service (DoS) attack that generated nearly 1.5 million hits on the portal within two minutes. The board also reported over one lakh attempts at unauthorized file access during the same period. On June 5, 2026, CBSE confirmed that the portal had been targeted by a large-scale cyberattack involving nearly 3.8 million malicious packets on June 3, in an attempt to disrupt the verification and re-evaluation process. Within minutes of becoming operational on June 2, the portal blocked over 100,000 unauthorized access attempts, and several coordinated high-volume traffic bursts resembling DoS attacks were mitigated by the security systems. In response to these cyber threats, CBSE lodged a formal complaint with the Delhi Police, specifically with the Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit. The board emphasized that despite the attempted disruptions, its systems remained secure, with no data breach or compromise of systems reported. An FIR was registered, and an investigation was initiated. The issues with the re-evaluation portal were not entirely new, as technical complaints had been building for weeks. Prior to the re-evaluation portal's issues, there were security concerns with the CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. In late May 2026, an ethical hacker claimed to have exposed security vulnerabilities in the CBSE evaluation portal, demonstrating the ability to alter marks. Although CBSE initially dismissed these concerns, they later acknowledged the existence of vulnerabilities. The hacker had reportedly informed authorities about these weaknesses months earlier. Furthermore, an internal report from a dry run of the OSM system in January 2026 had flagged at least 36 technical, operational, and evaluation-related concerns, including risks of "blind or superficial checking" and a lack of evaluator interaction. Despite these warnings, the board proceeded with the system's implementation. Amidst the ongoing controversies, CBSE stated that its technical teams were actively monitoring the portal to ensure a secure, reliable, and student-friendly experience. They also announced the integration of multiple payment gateways, including those of SBI, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Indian Bank, to facilitate smoother transactions. To address user feedback, CBSE introduced several enhancements, such as extending session time limits to reduce automatic logouts. As of June 4, 2026, the board reported that over 43,000 applications for verification and re-evaluation had been accepted. The application window for Class 12 students was open from June 2 to June 6, 2026. The continuous technical issues and cyber threats have amplified anxiety among students, particularly as the college admission season begins. Delays in the verification and re-evaluation process could potentially impact their chances of improving marks before admission deadlines and counseling rounds. The CBSE has been actively responding to student complaints on social media and has assured that no student records or personal information have been compromised. In a related development, the CBSE dropped its third-party vendor for the post-result re-evaluation process due to allegations of corruption and severe data security vulnerabilities. A new in-house portal was developed and audited by experts from IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras to ensure data protection. The ongoing situation highlights the challenges educational institutions face in maintaining uninterrupted digital services during critical academic processes, especially when dealing with millions of users.

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