In an unexpected breach of security, Fur Affinity, a prominent online hub for the furry community, was compromised early this Tuesday at approximately 5 AM (UTC -3). The platform, widely recognized for its role in facilitating the sharing of artwork, auctions, and commissions among its user base, suddenly went offline and then started redirecting visitors to an external site, sparking immediate concern.
An official statement was released via the platform’s Twitter account, reassuring users that their account informations were not compromised. Although as a precaution, users are advised to prepare for a password reset once the site is restored. As another precaution, it is recommended nobody open the website or any of it’s links, as it may contain viruses or steal their credentials.
Further updates at 6 PM revealed ongoing frustrations with the hosting service provider, netsolcares. The company has allegedly informed Fur Affinity that freezing or locking the compromised account was not possible, necessitating an extended wait period of 24 to 48 hours. As this article goes to press, the hacker appears to maintain control over the account.
(Screenshots from user @ballzicle on twitter)
Concerns escalated at 8 PM when the platform’s Twitter profile displayed signs of a takeover, with all tweets regarding the incident mysteriously removed. Concurrently, the website has been redirected again, this time to a fake shop page, further indicating the hacker’s intent to exploit the platform.
9PM: Discord staff confirmed the twitter profile got compromised
All twitter embeds were removed from this post, to ensure nobody clicks them. The discord server seems unaffected.
10PM: After failing to make money with a crypto scam on the official twitter, the hacker has now started posting about recently deceased Fur Affinity creator “Dragoneer” and furry-related porn on the account.
11PM: The Fur Affinity handle on twitter was changed by the hacker, allowing another user to take over it.
The official FA account, which handle had been changed, was taken down by twitter.
Midnight of the 21st: The official twitter account went back up and Dragoneer’s twitter was taken over, allegedly by the same hacker.
11:53AM: Fur Affinity devs confirmed they got control over the domain again and locked down the website while double checking further damage wasn’t done.
11PM: The official twitter and handle are back at the hands of the devs, who are deleted the hacker’s tweets. The website remains under maintenance to guarantee user safety
3PM August 22nd: The website and domain are back to normal, and the registrar account was locked to prevent further access from anyone else. A fraud investigation has been launched to investigate how the whole situation happened. Staff informed that any e-mails sent from @furaffinity.net or to it, were by the hacker and to the hacker, meaning that if received any e-mail from furaffinity between Tuesday, August 20th at 12:47AM ET and Wednesday, August 21st at 2:28PM ET you should ignore it and if you tried changing your password, which would prompt an e-mail to be sent, that you should do so again now to prevent your account from being compromised.
This post will get updated as new official information is out.
What is Fur Affinity?
FurAffinity is an online community and art archive that serves as a platform for artists and enthusiasts of anthropomorphic animals, commonly known as “furries.” The website allows users to upload and share their artwork, animations, stories, and other forms of media related to the furry fandom. It is one of the largest and most popular furry websites, providing a space for creative expression and interaction among its members.
The platform is designed to support various aspects of the furry community, including the facilitation of commissions between artists and patrons, hosting of forums for discussions, and organization of groups and journals for personal updates. FurAffinity has become a cornerstone for the furry community, offering a digital meeting place for individuals to connect, collaborate, and celebrate their shared interests in anthropomorphic characters and storytelling.
