The RetroArch emulator infrastructure and Libretro GitHub repositories have all been vandalized by a hacker who managed to gain access to build servers and wipe out three of the nine repository pages, rendering the database for the popular software crippled.

The news was shared via the Libretro website, where they explained just what the damage was for the whole project, writing…

“He accessed our buildbot server and crippled the nightly/stable buildbot services, and the netplay lobby service. Right now, the Core Updater won’t work. The websites for these have also been rendered inaccessible for the moment

“He gained access to our Libretro organization on Github impersonating a very trusted member of the team and force-pushed a blank initial commit to a fair percentage of our repositories, effectively wiping them. He managed to do damage to 3 out of 9 pages of repositories. RetroArch and everything preceding it on page 3 has been left intact before his access got curtailed.

None of the distributed core installations were affected, so there’s no worries about downloading and installing malware from the existing versions of RetroArch floating around. However, the core installer is labeled as “non-functional” until further notice.

This whole process has led them to migrating to a new server, but it also brings up the issue of a lack of automated backups, all of which costs money.

They’re currently seeking funds for the RetroArch project through the Libretro Patreon page, where they’re hoping to bank at least $1,300 a month to pay for server fees.

Additionally, new builds for the console version of the emulator will be postponed until the migration is complete. The Linux, Windows, and Android versions of RetroArch would be made available immediately, but hoping for new updates for the Nintendo Switch and other consoles would have to wait until they get the server acclimated.

(Thanks for the news tip MaverickHL)