The website 4chan had a problem with hackers on Tuesday.

When I wrote this, the 4chan website did not work. People on social media said the site stopped working sometimes for many hours.

People on another website were happy about the hack. One person said the hacker was inside 4chan's system for more than a year.

Some pictures online seemed to show secret files from the website 4chan. These files included rules for stopping users from using the site. Only the people who manage the website should be able to see these files. The leaked information also had a list of the people who manage 4chan. It also listed other users who can remove messages but do not have as much power as the managers. For example, the managers can see users' internet addresses.

Because 4chan is linked to violent politics, this attack might show who runs these forums. These forums are now very important for some far-right groups.

TechCrunch talked to some people whose emails were shared. Someone who works for 4chan and did not want their name used said they are sure the shared information and pictures are real.

The janitor said he thought it was true.

I'm very surprised. The team at 4chan has had leaks before, but this is a much bigger problem," the worker told TechCrunch. "I don't like this situation. I'm sure most other people don't either. But many of us have been doing this job for a long time. Sharing private information about people is a common thing on 4chan, and we always knew that people could find out who we are.

"I've been worried about the information that was shared without permission, of course," said the janitor. "I think that a hacker taking control of 4chan is probably a bigger problem than the pictures, at least for the website to keep working."

The person who takes care of the website also said it looks like the hacker got private information from people who pay for 4chan Pass. These users pay to post more and go to a special part of the website.

4chan did not answer an email that asked for a comment.

4chan is a website where people can post things without using their real names. It's a hidden part of the internet that can be bad. Often, people share pictures and try to shock others by posting very bad things. Sometimes, things from 4chan become popular online jokes or spread hate that makes people do violent things.

Pictures like Pepe the Frog and wojaks became popular on 4chan, and now many people use them everywhere online. 4chan is most known for its political discussions, where some young people might start to believe in white supremacist ideas. A group called QAnon, who support Donald Trump and have strange ideas, also started on 4chan.

In 2019, a man killed 51 people in New Zealand. He often used a website called 4chan from when he was a teenager. In 2022, a young man killed 10 Black people in the US. This young man wrote a long text about his ideas. He used some of the same words and ideas from the internet as the man who killed people in New Zealand.