Instagram is alerting users who were targeted by hackers during AI chatbot attacks – Firstpost | #hacking | #cybersecurity | #infosec | #comptia | #pentest | #hacker

The recent widespread hacking campaign that reportedly involved simply asking Meta’s AI chatbot for access to victims’ Instagram accounts appears to have continued even after the company said the issue had been resolved. Meta has also been scrambling to secure targeted accounts and alert affected users.

Over the weekend, hackers were reported to have exploited Meta’s AI-powered support chatbot to take over several high-profile Instagram accounts. At the same time, a large number of users took to social media to complain that their Instagram accounts had been hacked.

Reports suggest that the hackers simply told Meta’s AI chatbot that they were the owners of the targeted accounts and asked the bot to link those accounts to email addresses under their control. The chatbot reportedly complied with these requests, allowing hackers to reset account passwords and take control of the accounts, in some cases even locking out the legitimate owners.

The issue appears to have persisted even after a Meta spokesperson said it had been fixed. Reports indicate that as recently as Tuesday, additional Instagram users had their accounts compromised.

Adam Stone, a Meta spokesperson, posted on X that, “Some people may receive password reset notifications, and some may be asked security questions when they try to log into their accounts.”

Users have also reported receiving notifications from Meta informing them that they may have been targeted. Victims said they received emails from Instagram warning them that the company had “detected some suspicious activity that suggests your Instagram may have been compromised.”

In March, Meta announced that it was implementing AI to automate portions of its customer support operations. The company said its AI-powered chatbot was “designed to resolve account issues from start to finish.”

While Instagram handles being sold on gray markets is not a new phenomenon, taking over these accounts has traditionally required a higher level of technical expertise. In this case, however, hackers reportedly needed little more than convincing the chatbot to grant them access.