Data breach at India’s film certification board exposes over 500 records
A security breach at the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) exposed sensitive scripts and distribution agreements for hundreds of films.
A reported data breach of the CBFC’s e-Cinepramaan portal exposed records submitted for certification between December 2025 and August 2026. The leaked files included shooting scripts, summaries of mandated censorship cuts, and international distribution agreements containing unredacted financial data for over 500 films.
According to industry reports, the data was uploaded to the Internet Archive and remained accessible for several days before being removed on October 12. While the CBFC stated it has found no evidence that its certification documents were accessed, it has filed a formal complaint with cybercrime authorities and notified India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to conduct a forensic analysis of its servers.
The incident follows a string of recent cybersecurity disclosures in India, where organizations have frequently faced criticism for downplaying or denying the scope of data exposure. As the CBFC remains the sole entity responsible for clearing theatrical film releases in India, the vulnerability of its digital infrastructure remains a point of significant concern for the film industry and data privacy regulators.