Karnataka higher edu portal hacked, marks of over 60 failed students at Bengaluru North University tampered

UUCMS portal of Bengaluru North University hacked

Karnataka police recently busted a gang who hacked the Unified University and College Management System (UUCMS) portal of Bengaluru North University in Kolar, tampering with the marks of more than 60 failed graduate students.

The Cyber Crime & Narcotics Control Police Station (CEN) of Kolar District uncovered a network of fraudsters exploiting vulnerabilities in the Bengaluru North University (BNU) UUCMS website, illegally accepting money from students who had failed their exams.

Police arrested three people - Girish, Sandesh, and Surya - based on a complaint filed by the university’s registrar.

Girish and Sandesh are trustees of MNG Pre-University College and Smart Degree College in Kolar, respectively, while Surya is a student at the college, according to police. Police said their bank accounts have been frozen, and they suspect more people may be involved in this illegal scam. The investigation is on.

UUCMS . pic.twitter.com/lQREuhQhsM SP KOLAR (@KolarPolice) September 27, 2024

Bengaluru North University (BNU) in Kolar uses Unified University and College Management System (UUCMS) portal, which falls under the Karnataka Higher Education Department.  UUCMS centralises and streamlines activities of higher education institutions, managing admissions, exams, degree awards, class monitoring, lesson plans, and student attendance.

According to a The Hindu report, the investigation revealed that the accused misused the login credentials of Thippeswamy, the university's Registrar, to hack into the portal and tamper with the marks of over 60 students. They charged each student Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 for altering their marks.

The hacking came to light recently when one of the accused was caught attempting to collect money from a student in Vijayapura, Bengaluru Rural district. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime, the report said.

Upon further investigation, Kolar CEN police discovered that the fraudsters had exploited loopholes in the UUCMS website, resetting passwords to access the details of students who had failed in various degree colleges affiliated with Bengaluru North University. The fraudsters contacted these students, receiving payments via UPI transfers and cash in exchange for altering their marks.

Niranjana, Chancellor of Bengaluru North University, told The Hindu that the university had requested details from the police of the students who benefited from the tampered marks. “Once we receive the police report, we will withhold the degrees of these students,” she stated.

Speaking to The Hindu, MC Sudhakar, Karnataka Minister of Higher Education, said: “The government has taken serious note of the portal hacking. A probe will be ordered to investigate this case, and appropriate measures will be taken to protect the portal and safeguard student data.”