Wikipedia Blacklists Archive.today After DDoS Attack and Content Tampering
Wikipedia has blacklisted the web archiving service Archive.today, resulting in the removal of over 695,000 links from approximately 400,000 English-language pages. The decision follows allegations that Archive.today embedded malicious JavaScript in its CAPTCHA page, hijacking visitors' browsers to launch a DDoS attack against blogger Jani Patokallio’s website.
The attack began after Archive.today’s maintainer demanded Patokallio remove a 2023 blog post investigating the site’s ownership. The malicious script sent repeated, uncached requests to Patokallio’s blog every 300 milliseconds while the CAPTCHA page remained open, overwhelming the server. A subpoena was reportedly issued to domain registrar Tucows seeking details on Archive.today’s operator.
Wikipedia cited user safety and reliability concerns in its decision, stating that a site exploiting visitors for attacks is "untrustworthy." The platform also accused Archive.today of altering archived content, further undermining its credibility. Editors are now directed to replace Archive.today links with alternatives like the Internet Archive or Wayback Machine, or use non-archived sources.
This is not the first time Archive.today has faced blacklisting it was previously banned in 2013 before being reinstated in 2016. The incident highlights risks associated with third-party archiving services, particularly when they introduce uncontrollable variables into trusted platforms.
Source: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/wikipedia-blacklists-archive-today-after-alleged-ddos-attack
Wikipedia TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/wikimedia-foundation
"id": "wik1771962831",
"linkid": "wikimedia-foundation",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "2/2026",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Wikipedia users, visitors to '
'Archive.today',
'industry': 'Internet/Technology',
'name': 'Archive.today',
'type': 'Web archiving service'},
{'customers_affected': '400,000 English-language pages '
'affected by link removal',
'industry': 'Internet/Technology',
'name': 'Wikipedia',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Online encyclopedia'},
{'industry': 'Media/Blogging',
'name': 'Jani Patokallio',
'type': 'Individual (blogger)'}],
'attack_vector': 'Malicious JavaScript embedded in CAPTCHA page',
'description': 'Wikipedia blacklisted the web archiving service '
'Archive.today, removing over 695,000 links from approximately '
'400,000 English-language pages. The decision followed '
'allegations that Archive.today embedded malicious JavaScript '
"in its CAPTCHA page, hijacking visitors' browsers to launch a "
'DDoS attack against blogger Jani Patokallio’s website. '
'Archive.today was also accused of altering archived content, '
'undermining its credibility.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Loss of credibility for Archive.today, '
'Wikipedia’s reputation for reliability',
'downtime': 'Server overwhelmed by DDoS attack',
'legal_liabilities': 'Subpoena issued to domain registrar Tucows',
'operational_impact': 'Removal of 695,000 links from Wikipedia, '
'loss of trust in Archive.today',
'systems_affected': 'Jani Patokallio’s blog server, Wikipedia’s '
'link database'},
'lessons_learned': 'Risks associated with third-party archiving services, '
'importance of vetting external links for security and '
'reliability',
'motivation': 'Retaliation for investigative blog post, censorship',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': 'Blacklisting of '
'Archive.today, replacement '
'of links, subpoena for '
'operator details',
'root_causes': 'Malicious JavaScript injection in '
'CAPTCHA page, retaliation for '
'investigative blog post, content '
'tampering by Archive.today'},
'recommendations': 'Use trusted archiving services like Internet Archive or '
'Wayback Machine, monitor for malicious behavior in '
'third-party integrations',
'references': [{'source': 'Wikipedia'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Subpoena issued to Tucows'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Public statement citing user safety '
'and reliability concerns',
'containment_measures': 'Removal of Archive.today links from '
'Wikipedia',
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Blacklisting of '
'Archive.today, replacement '
'of links with alternatives',
'law_enforcement_notified': 'Subpoena issued to Tucows',
'remediation_measures': 'Replacement of links with Internet '
'Archive or Wayback Machine'},
'stakeholder_advisories': 'Wikipedia editors directed to replace '
'Archive.today links with alternatives',
'threat_actor': 'Archive.today maintainer',
'title': 'Wikipedia Blacklists Archive.today After DDoS Attack and Content '
'Tampering',
'type': 'DDoS Attack, Content Tampering, Malicious JavaScript Injection',
'vulnerability_exploited': 'Browser hijacking via malicious script'}