A group of Argentinian researchers has reportedly compromised the Pirate Bay's database of more than 4 million email and IP addresses of registered users.

Ch Russó posted on the blog for the group, explaining that it took advantage of flaws in the security of the site through multiple SQL injections to download the information.

Surprisingly, the blogpost includes a comprehensive video explaining the process. The group believes it was acting with the best possible motives in gaining access to the site.

Ch said in the post: "What we have done, we did not do it with anger, or for commercial value. As always, we saw the change, the moment and decided to take it. The protocol or procedure done to achieve this wasn't anything out of the ordinary". How very noble.

No matter the nature of its content, gaining unauthorised access to a website and downloading confidential information is illegal in most countries. The group believes it was aiding the work of the authorities to curb illegal file sharing from the site, as well as proving what it considers to be the insecurity of The Pirate Bay. "We beleive [sic] that the people behind this comunity [sic] always acted with the local laws on their side, and so have we."

The MPAA and RIAA have notoriously battled to bring down the website as one of the main proponents of illegal file sharing. Whether the agencies will want to work with a group of unaffiliated hackers to further their goals is yet to be seen.

Despite this and many other attacks on the fabric of the site, it was announced earlier this week that the site may be soon hosted from inside the Swedish Parliament, under the auspices of the Pirate Party.