Free Software Foundation Under Siege: Ongoing DDoS & Relentless AI Web Crawler Attacks Since 2024
Ddos 
The renowned Free Software Foundation (FSF) recently disclosed that it has been the target of an ongoing series of DDoS attacks, which began in August 2024 and, as of the time of publication, show no signs of abating.
Although the attack traffic is classified as DDoS based on the logs, further analysis of user agents revealed that a significant portion originates from web crawlers, many of which are operated by various AI companies—though their exact intent remains unclear.
The FSF maintains a wide array of web infrastructure. The initial wave of attacks in August 2024 targeted the GNU.org website and was confirmed to be a bona fide DDoS assault orchestrated by a botnet, not merely the result of automated data scraping by AI firms.
By January 2025, the GNU Savannah collaborative development platform came under siege. The botnet used in this instance appeared to comprise around five million IP addresses—an unusually large scale. This led the FSF to suspect that the activity might actually be linked to AI company crawlers rather than a traditional botnet.
Despite these challenges, most FSF websites have remained operational. Staff members have worked tirelessly to mitigate the attacks and maintain accessibility. However, the Foundation’s technical team consists of only two full-time system administrators, both of whom have been overwhelmed by the scale and persistence of these threats.
In addition to DDoS attacks, the FSF’s web infrastructure has been inundated by a range of automated programs, including SEO crawlers, bots masquerading as users, bots pretending to be other bots, and vulnerability scanners. These activities have placed substantial strain on their systems.
Wikipedia, in a similar predicament, was recently compelled to package and distribute its data for direct download in an effort to dissuade AI firms from relentlessly scraping its content—an effort to preserve the stability of its infrastructure.
In contrast, the FSF offers relatively modest amounts of content, rendering such sustained scraping largely futile. Given the limited and unchanging nature of its data, the Foundation remains baffled as to why it continues to face such relentless attacks and crawling activity.
Related Posts:
- Windows 11’s TPM 2.0: Free Software Foundation Fights Forced Upgrades and E-Waste
- Google Requires JavaScript for Search: Bots and Crawlers Impacted
Support Our Threat Intelligence
If you find our CVE report and cybersecurity news helpful, consider supporting our work.
Buy Me a Coffee
PayPal
