The English-language anonymous forum 4chan has become the victim of a hacking attack, leading to a significant data breach. Information about this incident was published on the rival platform Soyjack.
To provide evidence, the post`s author included screenshots displaying databases and administrator menus. Immediately after the hack, 4chan became unavailable and remains offline at the time of this writing. The author on Soyjack suggests that the forum owners are attempting to “reduce the damage” by taking the site offline.
The breach resulted in the leakage of personal information belonging to numerous registered users and moderators. It was revealed that many of them are associated with educational and governmental bodies, as indicated by their .edu and .gov email domains. Furthermore, hackers discovered functionality that allows viewing IP addresses, locations, and other private data.
Launched in 2003, 4chan is characterized by its lack of registration requirements and anonymous posting. 4chan is also known for being a platform where various online movements are coordinated, including those aimed at identifying criminals, harassing individuals and celebrities in real life, and similar activities.
Finley Holt