BakaBT Anime BitTorrent Tracker Retaliates Against DDoS
BakaBT, a torrent tracker which specializes in serving anime fans, is currently down after suffering a huge DDoS attack. Although these type of attacks against torrent sites are nothing new, the operators say the person responsible has identified himself. Instead of caving in to his demands, the site has chosen to fight back.
Over the years there have been many ‘hacking’ incidents related to file-sharing. Some attacks are carried out in support of the activity, such as the famous MediaDefender leaked emails, multiple attacks on the IFPI, and more recently when hacktivists defaced an anti-piracy group website.
Not all attacks are carried out in favor of file-sharing though. In late 2008 an attacker tried to seize the Torrentz.com domain and in mid 2009 another tried to do the same to NowTorrents. Just a couple of months later Italy’s largest torrent site TNTVillage had unwelcome visitors.
Another favored assault on torrent sites comes in the form of DDoS attacks. Most recently Demonoid suffered downtime from just this type of incident.
Usually the attackers remain relatively or completely anonymous, making fighting them almost impossible. However, according to the operators of BakaBT, a site serving the anime community and one currently under sustained DDoS attack, they are very well aware of who has made their site inaccessible.
Following a difference of opinion with a member who seemed to have spoofed his ratio in 2009, the BakaBT site got maliciously taken down along with a demand that someone on the site’s staff should hand in their resignation. In response the staff at BakaBT (and another site which claims to have had difficulty with the same guy) published some of the details of the person they believed was responsible in a blog post.
Now, many months later, the BakaBT site is down again under a DDoS attack after the previous ‘hacker’ demanded that the earlier blog post be taken down. BakaBT decided not to comply, instead choosing to go to war with their attacker by publishing more of his personal details and asking people around the net to republish them everywhere they can. However, as they seem to appreciate, this act could stir up an even bigger hornets nest.
“What happens to our website and 6 year old community? I don’t know,” say the staff in a comment. “It would be a shame to loose it over something so trivial.”
Indeed it would. According to a passionate site member who spoke with TorrentFreak, BakaBT has been around since 2004 and is dearly loved by anime fans. The site has around 142,000 members and tracks around 7,000 torrents. Time will tell if the site and their perceived enemy will settle their differences.
TorrentFreak contacted the alleged attacker who while admitting that he previously carried out some kind of attack on BakaBT, denies responsibility for the current downtime. That said, he insists that if the site returns he will attack it again. He refutes the claim, however, that the identity revealed is his…..very confusing.
BakaBT are giving infrequent updates via Twitter and their backup blog, and there’s more drama here and here.
