What Happened to Cracked, BreachForums, and 4Chan?

All of these updates are the beginning of evolving stories about what is going on in the dark web today. It is too early to discern more details about Cracked, BreachForums, and 4Chan. Stay informed by monitoring the dark web with Lunar for discussions about these and other popular imageboards and hacker forums that may contain sensitive information for your company. 

Cracked

In April 2025, less than three months after its seizure, Cracked resurfaced under a new domain and with a new administrator. In a welcome post, @Liars, the new admin, announced that Cracked would resume operations at cracked.sh. @Liars also assured users that no data was handed over to the FBI when the previous domain was seized.

In January 2025, Cracked.to, a notorious hacker forum, was taken down along with well-known platforms Nulled, MySellIX, and StarkRDP, as part of Operation Talent. Operation Talent was a coordinated effort led by the FBI and other international law enforcement agencies.

The dark web hacker forum, Cracked, originally established in 2018, served as a hub for millions of cybercriminals to buy, sell, and share leaked data, hacking tools, and stolen credentials.

Since its takedown in January, users have been actively seeking a proper replacement. Many discussions have emerged across the underground scene about which forums can offer both valuable content and a sense of safety and anonymity for users.

Nevertheless, many users remain suspicious of the new forum. There are ongoing debates on various hacker forums questioning whether the site has genuinely returned—or whether it’s now a trap set up by law enforcement.

BreachForums

Meanwhile, BreachForums.st, one of the major forums that replaced Cracked after Cracked’s takedown, has gone offline again—just a few months after returning from its previous disruption.

The ShinyHunters hacker group revived BreachForums after the administrator of BreachForums, Pompompurin, was arrested in March 2023. However, the forum was constantly attacked and was seized again in 2024.

It reappeared for a few months but is now offline once more. As of the time this article was written, BreachForum’s status is uncertain. The pro-Palestinian hacktivist group Dark Storm Team has claimed responsibility for the disruption. Dark Storm Team is known for its DDoS activity. Their recent activity includes a DDoS attack on X (formerly Twitter) in March 2025.

Other rumors suggest that law enforcement may have taken control of the site, and that IntelBroker, a key figure in the BreachForums community, may have been arrested. Some even claim the site had been under FBI control ever since its relaunch and was being used as a honeypot.

4Chan

On the 14th of April, 2025, 4Chan went offline, allegedly due to a hacker who has been in the system for an extensive amount of time. The hacker also leaked the backend code, moderator information, and more sensitive information. 

With over 20 million monthly visitors, 4Chan is possibly the biggest imageboard on the web. Established in 2003, it is known for its anonymous posting on ranging topics, with minimal moderation which leads to often chaotic, controversial and illicit content. 

When 4Chan went offline, its users needed to find refuge in alternative imageboards. Other imageboards were quick to rejoice at their influx of visitors. Some users even suspected that it was taken down by rival imageboards. Soyjack is a a prime suspect. 

Written by Lior Noy, Cyber Intelligence Analyst, and Lior Tenzer, Cyber Analyst.