Someone hacked the website 4chan on Tuesday.

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

Messages on another website said the hack was good. One person wrote that the hacker was in 4chan's system for more than a year.

Some pictures were shared online. They seemed to show the secret parts of the website 4chan. These pictures showed how the website works, its code, and how they can stop users. Only the people who manage the website could see this. The shared information also had a list of people who supposedly manage 4chan and others called 'janitors.' Janitors can remove messages, but they cannot do as much as the managers. Managers can also see things like where users are online.

Because 4chan is known for its violent political connections, this cyberattack could show who is running these forums. These forums have become very important for alt-right groups.

TechCrunch contacted some people whose emails were shared and talked to one person. A worker from 4chan who did not want to give their name said they are sure the shared information and pictures are true.

The janitor said he thought the same.

I'm surprised. The 4chan team has had information leaks before, but this is a much bigger problem. I don't like this situation. I'm sure most other people don't like it either. But many of us have worked here for a long time. People often share private information on 4chan, and we always knew someone might find out who we are.

The janitor said, "I was most worried about the information that was shared, for clear reasons." He added, "I think it's probably worse that hackers took control of 4chan than just pictures, especially if we want the website to keep working."

The janitor also said it seems the hacker got personal information from people who pay for 4chan Pass. This pass lets them post more and go to a special area.

4chan did not answer an email that asked for their ideas.

4chan is a website where people can share ideas, often without saying who they are. People there often try to surprise others by sharing very bad pictures and messages. Sometimes, things from 4chan, like funny pictures or bad ideas, go outside the website and can cause problems, sometimes leading to violence.

Memes like Pepe the Frog started on 4chan and are now seen everywhere online. But 4chan is most known for its political chat rooms. In these rooms, strong political ideas can make young people start to believe in white supremacist ideas. QAnon, a group with strange political ideas who support President Donald Trump, also started on 4chan.

In 2019, a man killed 51 people in New Zealand. He often used a website called 4chan since he was a teenager. In 2022, a young man killed 10 Black people in a shop in the US. This young man wrote a long message that used some of the same ideas as the man in New Zealand.