4chan hack may expose its darkest secrets: How much did they leak?

4chan has experienced a data breach, but user information is reportedly secure. Unfortunately, those managing the platform are now dealing with the consequences. Keep reading for further details!

It turns out that the website was initially managed anonymously, but a recent hack of 4chan unmasked not only the users’ personal data, but also details about the moderators and administrators, whom I’ll refer to as “janitors”. These key users have the power to approve content and determine what remains on the forum or gets removed. So, you might wonder, why is this significant?

First of all, some words need some context to be understood:

• Mods: The people in charge of managing communities. They have access to users’ information that is private to the public.
• Janitors: They have most mods privileges, but their main function is getting rid of posts. This could be due to infringement of rules, or just for being irrelevant.
• IP: The network address of a computer connected to the Internet. Thus, it contains physical location information.
• Doxxing: The act of revealing personal information from internet users to the public without their consent.

As a gamer, I’ve often heard 4chan notoriously known for its habit of exposing users’ personal information, even famous ones, behind the veil of anonymity. It was this aspect that sparked a wave of approval among various internet denizens, who saw it as a long-overdue dose of karmic retribution.

A representative from TechCrunch spoke with an employee (often referred to as a ‘janitor’) of the online forum 4chan, who acknowledged the hack and expressed dissatisfaction with the turn of events. Given the nature of 4chan, it was understood that they were a potential target for numerous attacks.

I’m not pleased with how things stand. I believe it’s safe to say that others feel the same way. However, we’ve been navigating through this for quite some time now. It seems that doxxing has been a common activity on 4chan for a while, and the risk of being unmasked has always loomed over us.

TechCrunch’s interview with one of 4chan’s janitors

How was 4chan hacked?

Multiple sources suggest a potential method employed by hackers, with many online discussions attributing the 4chan hack to a straightforward vulnerability. Some platforms enable users to upload PDF files, but the system didn’t check if the uploaded items were indeed PDFs. This oversight allowed hackers to submit files containing scripts that successfully compromised the site’s security.

Previously mentioned, the primary aim of the 4chan hack was to attack moderators (mods) and site administrators (janitors). However, it is reported that user email addresses were not compromised during this hack, as the hacker does not have access to them.

Is 4chan coming back after being hacked?

4chan’s community manager has posted on X platform that they are taking their time, implying they are preparing a return, although the 4chan website remains unresponsive as of this post.

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2025-04-16 13:12