Meta's AI Support Assistant Exploited by Hackers to Hijack Instagram Accounts
Quick Look
- Meta's AI support assistant, designed to simplify account recovery for Facebook and Instagram, has been exploited by hackers to hijack accounts, even those with two-factor authentication.
- The vulnerability, discussed since March, allowed hackers to change account emails and reset passwords by spoofing user locations via VPN.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Meta announced an AI support assistant in December to simplify account recovery for Facebook and Instagram. Security researchers discovered this tool was exploited by hackers to hijack accounts, even those protected by two-factor authentication.
Back in December, Meta announced a new AI support assistant it promised would make the account recovery process "faster and simpler" for people who had been locked out of their Facebook or Instagram pages. Now, it seems that Meta may have over-delivered on that promise.
That same Meta AI support assistant has apparently been used by hackers to hijack a bunch of Instagram accounts. According to security researchers, the AI tool made it ridiculously easy for hackers to take over the accounts, even if they were protected by two-factor authentication.
The exploit was flagged over the weekend by numerous security researchers on X. Details about how to take over accounts, as well as screenshots and video showing the takeovers in action, were circulating widely on Telegram, the researchers said. The images and videos suggest that hackers were able to simply ask the AI support chatbot to change the email associated with their desired account and then request a password reset.
Meta has now addressed the issue, though it's unclear how many accounts were affected by the exploit before it was patched. According to 404 Media, users on Telegram have been discussing the vulnerability since March. When reached for comment, Meta directed Engadget to a post on X from VP of communications Andy Stone. "This issue has been resolved and we are securing impacted accounts," Stone said in a reply to an account that posted about the account takeovers.
Though Meta didn't provide additional info on why its AI support tool would have such a gaping security vulnerability, it seems that hackers discovered the Meta chatbot relied on account holders' physical location to enable support. The now-patched exploit required hackers to use a VPN to show that their location matched the location of the person whose account they were targeting, according to Neowin. "Our systems recognize the device you usually use and familiar locations better than ever," Meta wrote in its December blog post about the AI support tool.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Meta will implement stricter security protocols for its AI support tools.
Very likely · Within weeks
Further investigations into the exploit will be conducted by cybersecurity firms and potentially regulators.
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- How many accounts were affected before the exploit was patched?
- What specific technical flaw allowed the AI to be bypassed?
- Will Meta face regulatory action or fines due to this vulnerability?
- What measures are being taken to prevent future AI-related security breaches?
