4chan, The Internet's Wildest Forum, Has Been Hacked & Taken Offline
Users who had registered their email addresses on the site may have had their personal information exposed.
By Syazwan Bahri — 16 Apr 2025, 02:47 PM
Popular online imageboard 4chan was recently taken offline following reports of a major hack, where the attacker reportedly leaked user information
This incident has raised concerns about the site's future. While 4chan has played a significant role in the creation of many Internet memes, it has also been embroiled in numerous controversies, especially regarding violent content and its approach to censorship.
On 15 April, Tuesday, the site was taken offline following the security breach. The hacker is said to have gained full access to 4chan's hosting server. Additionally, users who had registered their email addresses on the site appear to have had their personal information exposed.
The attack on the Internet forum was extensive
Based on data sourced from Downdetector, the website failed to load for many users around Monday, 14 April, with users citing connection issues the next day.
According to reports from Engadget, the hacker released the email addresses of 4chan's moderation team and numerous registered users, including those with educational and government email domains.
Adding to this, the Daily Dot reported that a sample of the leaked data contained a list of 218 moderators and hundreds of pages of backend code, which included the names of users who had purchased annual subscriptions to the site.
The hacker gained shell access, allowing the perpetrator to view sensitive information, including IP addresses and so on.
Image via Imgur