Archive.today is directing a DDoS attack against my blog
4 days ago
- #archive.today
- #OSINT
- #DDOS
- archive.today started using its users as proxies to conduct a DDOS attack against Gyrovague blog via CAPTCHA page JavaScript.
- The attack involved making requests to Gyrovague's search function every 300 milliseconds with random strings to prevent caching.
- Background: A 2023 blog post by Gyrovague investigated archive.today's history, tech stack, and funding, mentioning three likely aliases.
- In 2025, the FBI subpoenaed archive.today's domain registrar, and AdGuard DNS reported on sketchy attempts to block archive.today.
- Gyrovague received a GDPR complaint from 'Nora Puchreiner' in January 2026, which was rebutted and dismissed by Automattic.
- archive.today's webmaster requested the post's removal, but emails were missed, leading to unproductive and threatening exchanges.
- A Hacker News user first reported the DDOS behavior, and archive.today later added gyrovague.com to ad-blocker blocklists.
- Speculation suggests the DDOS was meant to attract attention and increase hosting costs, but Gyrovague's flat fee plan negated the latter.
- Multiple identities ('Nora Puchreiner', 'rabinovich', 'Richard Président') appear linked to archive.today, adding complexity to the situation.
- The motives behind the attack remain unclear, possibly stemming from misguided self-defense amid increasing investigative scrutiny.