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

When this was written, the 4chan website was not working, and people on social media said the site had been stopping and starting for hours.

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

Pictures that seem to show the secret system used by the website 4chan were shared online.

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

TechCrunch contacted some people whose email addresses were leaked and talked to one of them. Someone who helps manage the website 4chan and wanted to stay private told TechCrunch they are sure the leaked information and pictures are real.

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

I'm a little surprised. 4chan's moderators have had information leaks before, but this is clearly a bigger problem," the janitor 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 personal information is a common activity on 4chan, and we always knew we might be found out.

The caretaker said, "I've been very worried about the leaked information, for clear reasons. I think a hacker or hackers taking control of 4chan is probably a bigger problem than just the screenshots, especially for the website to keep working."

The cleaner also said that the hacker seems to have gotten the personal information of people who pay for 4chan Pass. This pass lets them avoid limits on how many times they can post and get to a special area, according to the cleaner.

4chan did not reply to an email asking for a comment that was sent to the website's press email.

4chan is a website where people can post messages and pictures without using their real names. It's often seen as a place with shocking and offensive content. Users frequently share images and try to surprise others by posting very unpleasant things. Sometimes, ideas or jokes that start on 4chan spread to the real world. These can be simple internet jokes or harmful ideas that cause problems or even violence.

Memes like Pepe the Frog first became popular on 4chan and are now used everywhere online. But 4chan is most known for its political sections, where extreme ideas can make young people believe in white supremacy. QAnon, a group of people who believe in conspiracy theories and strongly support Donald Trump, also started on 4chan.

In 2019, a shooter killed 51 people at two mosques in New Zealand. He had used the website 4chan regularly since he was a teenager. In 2022, an 18-year-old man killed 10 Black people in New York. His long written statement used ideas from the New Zealand shooter's online writings.