The well-known internet forum 4chan was attacked by hackers on Tuesday.

When I wrote this, the 4chan website was not working, and people on social media said the site had stopped working sometimes for several hours.

Messages on another website, seen by TechCrunch, showed people were happy about the hack. One person said the hacker had been inside 4chan's system for over a year.

Some pictures were shared online that seemed to show the private systems of the website 4chan. These pictures allegedly revealed the website's behind-the-scenes systems, its programming code, and tools used to block users. Only people who manage the site, called moderators, should have access to these tools. The leaked information also contained a list of people believed to be 4chan moderators and "janitors." Janitors are users who can remove messages and discussions, but they have less power than moderators. Moderators can also see information like the internet addresses of users, for example.

Because 4chan is known for its links to violent political groups, this cyberattack might show the people who run these forums. These forums are now very important for alt-right movements.

TechCrunch contacted some of the people whose email addresses were leaked and talked to one of them. A website worker who did not want to be named said they were sure the leaked information and pictures were real.

"I have no reason to think differently," the janitor said.

I'm quite surprised. The team that checks content on 4chan has had leaks before, but this problem is clearly much bigger," the moderator told TechCrunch. "I'm not happy about what has happened. I'm sure most other people feel the same. But many of us have been doing this for a long time. Sharing private information about people without their permission has always been popular on 4chan, and we knew we could be found out one day.

The janitor said, "I've been most worried about the information that was leaked, for clear reasons. I think it's probably 'worse' that a hacker or hackers took control of 4chan than just having screenshots, especially if you think about the website continuing to operate."

The caretaker also said that it looks like the hacker got the personal information of people who pay for 4chan Pass. These users pay the website to get around post limits and use a special VIP section.

4chan did not answer an email asking for a comment. The email was sent to the website's press email address.

4chan is a website where people can share ideas and pictures, and it seems like users are anonymous. It's often seen as a controversial part of the internet. It often has pictures and is used by people who seem to like surprising others with offensive content. Sometimes, ideas from 4chan spread online and into the real world, appearing as harmless jokes or as hateful messages that can cause violence.

Memes like Pepe the Frog and others first became popular on the website 4chan and are now seen everywhere online. But 4chan is most famous for its political discussion areas, where extreme right-wing ideas can make young people believe in white supremacy. QAnon, a group of very right-wing people who believe in conspiracy theories and support President Donald Trump, also started on 4chan.

In 2019, a person killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. This person had often used the website 4chan since they were a teenager. In 2022, an 18-year-old man killed 10 Black people in Buffalo, New York. His long written statement used ideas that were similar to the ideas of the Christchurch shooter.