Report: Pro-Trump Hackers Takeover Several Reddit Forums
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Hackers flooded Reddit on Friday with posts supporting President Donald Trump, according to a report from ZDNet.
The hackers took over several popular Reddit communities -- at least 70 -- and changed the graphics to promote Trump's presidential re-election campaign.
Reddit's security team told ZDNet that the attack happened after several moderator accounts were hacked and taken over. Some of those moderators later admitted they did not use two-step authentication.
"An investigation is underway related to a series of vandalized communities," a Reddit spokesperson told Wired Magazine. "We are working to lock down those accounts and restore impacted communities."
The hack comes after Reddit shut down the popular pro-Trump subreddit r/The_Donald in July. At the time, Reddit said that for years the forum repeatedly violated the site's policies regarding harassment, bullying, and threats of violence.
One statement left by the hackers read: "We on behalf of the American people want to implore and strongly encourage you all to vote Trump in the 2020 elections of the USA of America."
The same post implored readers to call COVID-19 pandemic a hoax and compared Trump to Batman, according to Wired.
As of Friday afternoon, Reddit appeared to have restored the hacked subreddits. Moderators still having problems were asked to report issues in a Reddit ModSupport thread.
