Someone hacked the internet site 4chan on Tuesday.

When I wrote this, the 4chan website didn't open, and people on social media said it stopped working sometimes for many hours.

Other messages online were happy about the hack, and one person said the hacker was inside 4chan's system for more than a year.

Some pictures were shared online that seemed to show parts of the 4chan website that only the people who run it could see. These pictures showed things like how they stop users from using the site and the site's code. The pictures also had a list of people who might be managers and 'janitors'. Janitors can remove posts, but they have less power than managers. Managers can also see things like where users are online.

Because 4chan is known for violent political groups, this computer attack could show who operates these forums. These forums are now very important for some right-wing groups.

TechCrunch contacted some people whose email addresses were shared online and talked to one of them. Someone from 4chan who did not want to give their name told TechCrunch they are sure the information and pictures that were shared are true.

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

I'm quite surprised. The team that checks content on 4chan has had secrets come out before, but this is a much bigger problem," the person in charge told TechCrunch. "I don't like the 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 something people often do on 4chan, and we always knew that we could be found out.

The janitor said, 'I'm most worried about the information that was shared.' He added, 'I think it's worse that a hacker took control of 4chan than just screenshots. This is important for the website's future.'

The person who helps with the website said it looks like the hacker got the private information of people who pay for a special pass. These users pay to post more and see a special part of the website.

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

4chan is a website where people share messages and pictures. It's a hidden, dark part of the internet. People often share pictures and try to shock others with very bad things. Sometimes, ideas from 4chan become popular online jokes or hateful words that can cause real violence.

Pictures like Pepe the Frog were first popular on a website called 4chan. Now you see them everywhere online. 4chan also has political parts where strong ideas can make young people believe in white power. A group called QAnon, who believe strange things and support President Trump, also started on 4chan.

In 2019, a man killed 51 people in New Zealand. He used a website called 4chan a lot since he was young. In 2022, a young man killed 10 Black people in New York. His long message used ideas from the other killer's writing on the internet.