NTT Solmare suspended its digital manga store on October 15, 2026, following a confirmed Comic CMOA breach [1]. The Japanese operator said outside attackers pulled personal files from its member management system, forcing a complete shutdown of book sales and reading tools [2]. Officials haven’t set a reopening date while security reviews continue [3].
Shutdown Timeline
The disruption hit on Thursday. NTT Solmare Comic CMOA readers suddenly ran into an emergency maintenance screen on the storefront website during morning hours [1]. Official notices showed a minor five-minute discrepancy regarding when the shutdown took effect, as user-facing alerts listed 11:30 AM while NTT Solmare recorded the maintenance at 11:35 AM in its official Japanese press release [2]. At 8:00 PM that evening, NTT Solmare posted an update stating that unauthorized access to its servers was highly likely. Engineers cut external connections to block intruders from digging deeper into company networks [3].
By Friday, October 16, NTT Solmare confirmed that an outside party had stolen member records [1]. The incident came just hours after Burger King Japan reported a cyber incident where hackers hit more than 11 million customers. Both companies suffered data intrusions [4]. Digital publishing analyst Mizuho Furuhata documented the event under the heading ‘Comic Cmoa Suspends Service, Potential Unauthorized Access’ in issue #2711 of the Publishing Industry News Summary on Note [6].
On October 18, NTT Solmare issued a third incident bulletin through its official @comic_cmoa account on X, saying that security teams had identified the intrusion route and attack method. But the company said that “it is difficult to give an exact date and time for resuming service at this time” because safety checks and talks with authorities must finish first. NTT Solmare apologized in a Japanese statement, saying, “We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for the inconvenience and concern caused to our customers, business partners, and all related parties” [3].
User Data in Comic CMOA Breach Audits
NTT Solmare verified that the Comic CMOA breach exposed five specific member details: email addresses, dates of birth, gender, nicknames, and hashed passwords [1]. The company said that stored passwords had been transformed into cryptographic strings. However, published notices didn’t reveal the hashing algorithm or salt routines. Readers can’t verify how strong those hashed strings are [2].
During weekend audits, investigators discovered that intruders also viewed and retrieved internal system log files [1]. Technicians are carrying out a detailed review of those archived server logs to verify whether user data or private query strings were embedded in the accessed files [3]. The total tally of compromised accounts remains under review, and NTT Solmare hasn’t shared whether the leak affected specific groups such as monthly subscribers, free members, or canceled accounts [2]. Officials promised to contact affected members directly once reviews verify stolen profiles [1]. Security analysts said that flaws in enterprise software often expose background logs when web frameworks lack proper input filters [2].
Card data remained safe. NTT Solmare said customer credit card numbers aren’t stored on the breached member server and weren’t leaked [1]. Audits found no sign that purchase histories or comic files saved in MY Bookshelf were altered, lost, or leaked. Customer libraries stayed safe [3].
Reading Downloaded Books During the Outage
The shutdown locked readers out of Japan’s biggest digital manga site [4]. Customers lost access to the main digital shop, the flat-rate Yomi-hodai unlimited reading catalog, reader review sections, and the Cmoa Island user community. In addition, scheduled distribution of upcoming releases and continuation chapters from the in-house Cmoa Comics imprint had to be stopped until publishing pipelines reopen [2]. The disruption shows how web outages hit digital readers who rely on cloud access, as even paying members found their accounts frozen while engineers worked behind closed doors to secure the store [4].
Downloaded titles still open offline. Readers who previously saved manga volumes to the Bookshelf app can read their downloaded books without an active internet connection. But members who haven’t saved their purchased titles locally can’t view or re-download those books while web servers stay dark [2]. The site holds millions of books [4].
NTT Solmare hasn’t announced how it plans to handle monthly fees or expiring points. The company hasn’t said whether subscription billing will be paused or refunded during the downtime. Because the Comic CMOA breach compromised login records, NTT Solmare urged readers who share passwords on other websites to update their credentials on third-party services right away [2]. Users shouldn’t wait for Comic CMOA to come back online before securing their accounts. When the manga store eventually reopens, NTT Solmare will require all registered members to set a fresh password [3].
Why the Comic CMOA Breach Delays Service Return
NTT Solmare said restarting a digital reading store needs careful safety work rather than a rushed launch [1]. In its October 18 release, the operator said preventing secondary harm and cooperating with public agencies took priority over setting a quick return date. Security teams must rebuild access barriers before public logins can be trusted again [3].
When the storefront does begin reopening, the recovery will happen in stages rather than all at once. NTT Solmare announced that it plans to restore web-based reading for previously purchased books first, letting paying readers regain access to their existing libraries before commercial sales reopen [3]. The company said that “additional steps are necessary to ensure further safety measures,” meaning sales systems, subscriptions, and point redemption will remain locked until forensic teams verify each component [1]. Similar challenges appear when resolving authentication server vulnerabilities, where identity systems require step-by-step validation [3].
Publishing observers discussed cloud safety across Japan’s creative industries. Scanners and automated tools make it easier for intruders to parse web systems, putting pressure on comic distributors. Companies must protect user data [4]. For now, Comic CMOA users must await status updates through the platform’s official social channels [3].
Support Contacts and Fraud Warnings
Japan’s National Police Agency posted cybersecurity notices warning consumers that leaked member records often trigger deceptive phishing messages. Scammers craft fake emails or phone SMS alerts claiming that an account was locked or that payments failed, hoping to push victims into entering banking codes on fraudulent sites. The police agency urged people never to click links in unfamiliar messages and to connect to digital stores through saved bookmarks or official phone apps. Fraudsters often use urgency to trick hurried readers into giving up passwords [5].
Members who have questions about data handling can call the Personal Information Protection Commission’s consultation line. The commission’s Personal Information Protection Act Consultation Dial takes calls on weekdays between 9:30 AM and 5:30 PM to explain privacy rights. Staff cannot check individual names. They only provide general guidance on privacy rules [2].
Readers dealing with unresolved billing questions or cancellations can reach out to consumer affairs centers through Japan’s Consumer Hotline. These regional centers offer dispute mediation and advice on consumer rights, though they don’t have statutory power to force private businesses into issuing refunds. For corporate questions about the Comic CMOA breach, NTT Solmare listed its Corporate Planning Department Public Relations group as the main contact point. Official desks handle member calls [2].
- ONLINE NEWS Anime News Network. (2026, October 19). Comic CMOA Service Remains Suspended After Confirmed Unauthorized External Access. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS SmartScope. (2026, October 16). Comic Cmoa: Data Breach Affected Users, Leaked Information, Immediate Actions, and Service Resumption. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Oricon News. (2026, October 18). 『コミックシーモア』サービス再開の見通し立たず「正確な再開日時をお伝えすることが困難な状況です」. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS scrmbl.com. (2026, October 16). Comic Cmoa goes down following suspected security breach. [Article Link]
- WEBSITE National Police Agency of Japan. (2026). Phishing Countermeasures. [Article Link]
- WEBSITE Furuhata, M. (2026, October 16). Comic Cmoa Suspends Service, Potential Unauthorized Access. Publishing Industry News Summary #2711. [Article Link]
