Self-hosted git servers, reported to whoever keeps them online.
When GitHub removes a farm, operators often move it to their own Gitea, Forgejo or GitLab server. There's no platform to report to, so Esuba goes to the people who keep the server online: the hosting provider and the domain registrar.
Why farms move off GitHub
GitHub can't suspend a server it doesn't run. In Case 001, 26 repos were restored to the operator's own Gitea server on the same day GitHub removed the account, each labelled as recovered from the suspended one.
Self-hosted servers often run with open registration, so they become a hub for other farmers. Thirteen new users joined the operator's server in a single day.
Who can take a git server down
- The hosting provider, found from the server's IP address and its network's abuse contact
- The domain registrar, found from the domain's RDAP record
- The mail provider, if the same setup handles the farm's verification email
Each gets a report with the same evidence, and a follow-up after seven days of silence. Here's how to do it yourself.
Evidence that survives a wipe
A self-hosted server can be wiped or moved overnight. We archive the repos and their history to the Wayback Machine and keep checksummed copies, so the report still stands if the server changes.
What happened in Case 001
On 2 November we reported the operator's git server and a mail server on the same network to their hosting provider, and the server's domain to its registrar. Both reports were awaiting a reply that day, and we were checking the server daily.
Questions
Can you take down a server in another country?
We report to whoever runs it, wherever they are. Hosting providers and registrars publish abuse contacts for exactly this. Some are slow, which is why we follow up.
Do you sign up to the operator's server?
No. We read what's public and never log in to an operator's systems, even when registration is open.