4chan Hacked & Sensitive Data Leaked in Major Breach

Key Takeaways

• 4chan hacked: The site was attacked on Tuesday, causing significant disruptions and intermittent outages.
• Leaked data: Sensitive information including source code, moderation templates, and personal details of moderators and janitors was exposed.
• Moderator risk: The breach raises concerns for moderators’ safety, given 4chan’s association with far-right content.
• Authenticity confirmed: TechCrunch verified the leaked data, with a janitor confirming the scale of the attack.
• Subscriber impact: 4chan Pass subscribers' personal information was also exposed in the hack.

Deep Dive

4chan, the notorious image board known for its controversial and often extreme content, was hacked, leading to significant disruptions across the platform. At the time of writing, users reported that the site was down intermittently, with the website failing to load for hours. Social media flooded with comments from users, many expressing their frustration as they struggled to access the site.

The hack, as reported by TechCrunch, appears to have been more than just a random attack. According to messages circulating on a rival message board, the hacker had reportedly been inside 4chan’s system for over a year. The leaked data was extensive, with screenshots of the platform’s back-end systems, source code, and internal templates for banning users appearing online. These sensitive files also included a list of 4chan moderators and “janitors”, users with limited moderation privileges, whose personal information was exposed.

This breach is particularly concerning, given the notorious nature of 4chan’s user base. The forum is known for hosting extreme political ideologies, including far-right rhetoric and violent content, and has even been linked to real-world incidents like the 2019 Christchurch shooting. The leaked data could now put moderators at risk, as their personal information has been exposed to a much larger audience.

TechCrunch reached out to several individuals whose contact information was found in the leaked data. One janitor, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the authenticity of the leak, stating, “I have no reason to believe otherwise. It’s unsettling, but this breach is far more severe than previous leaks.” They further explained that while 4chan has had its fair share of data leaks in the past, this attack feels different. “The hacker didn’t just expose us—they’ve effectively taken over the site,” the janitor said.

The attack also seems to have affected 4chan Pass subscribers, users who pay for enhanced access, such as VIP boards. This revelation adds another layer of concern, as these paying members trusted 4chan with sensitive information that may now be in the hands of malicious actors.

As of now, 4chan has not responded to requests for comment, and users are left to wonder what this breach means for the future of the site. Will it continue to operate in the same way, or is this the beginning of a much-needed change in how such platforms handle user data and security?

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