Fur Affinity’s domain and Twitter were compromised in a major DNS hijacking on August 20, 2024. Hackers redirected users to malicious sites, sparking fears of data breaches. Fur Affinity assures all user data is secure and the website will be back soon.
Fur Affinity, a popular social networking website for the furry community, was compromised on August 20, 2024, after hackers successfully gained control of the website’s domain, redirecting users to phishing sites, crypto scams and other malicious content. The incident caused widespread panic and concern within the furry community.
It is worth noting that Fur Affinity has always been a prime target of cyber attacks. In May 2016, the community’s official website was targeted in a crippling cyber attack, during which hackers completely wiped out its art gallery and entire data. However, a copy of an updated backup helped the site to restore and resurface the same month.
Fur Affinity Twitter and Website Hacked
Regarding the latest incident, the Hackread.com research team can confirm that Fur Affinity fell victim to a DNS hijacking attack. Even worse, the hackers also managed to take control of Fur Affinity’s official X (previously Twitter) account, as well as the personal account of the community founder Sean “Dragoneer” Piche, who tragically passed away on August 6, 2024, due to complications from a lung infection.
For your information, a DNS hijacking attack occurs when hackers redirect queries from a legitimate Domain Name System (DNS) server to a malicious one, allowing them to intercept, manipulate, or redirect users’ internet traffic. This can lead to phishing sites, malware downloads, or the theft of sensitive information.
Fur Affinity Blames for the Delay
Fur Affinity has criticized Network Solutions, LLC, an American-based technology company formerly known as Web.com, for their delayed response in handling a critical situation. The company, which operates under the X handle @netsolcares, was blamed by Fur Affinity for failing to lock the domain promptly despite administrative verification, thereby exposing it to a prolonged DNS attack.
According to Fur Affinity, the domain went offline at around 12:48 AM on August 20 due to someone hijacking their account with @netsolcares. Despite the team’s quick actions to address the situation, they were informed by Network Solutions’ customer support that they couldn’t immediately lock or freeze the account. Instead, they were told that it would take 24-48 hours to receive proper assistance.
The Fur Affinity team expressed frustration, noting that they had proven their ownership of the account and that it had been hijacked. They highlighted this as a serious security oversight on the part of Network Solutions. The delay in taking action caused stress and spread misinformation.
Fur Affinity Using Discord for Updates
At the time of writing, Fur Affinity’s website remains offline. However, the Fur Affinity team has successfully regained control of their X handle. They are currently using their official Discord channel to provide updates.
Data compromised?
There are also rumours that the breach may have compromised the personal data of millions of Fur Affinity users, including usernames, email addresses, and potentially sensitive information. However, the Fur Affinity team has strongly denied these claims, stating categorically that all user data remains secure.
Here are some important and related screenshots from Fur Affinity’s Discord channel that might help you better understand the situation (if you haven’t already):
The incident has highlighted the vulnerability of even large online platforms to cyberattacks. Fur Affinity fell victim to a sophisticated hacking operation despite efforts to strengthen security measures.
Hackread.com is closely monitoring the situation and will update this article once Fur Affinity’s website is back online or when the team provides further information.
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