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Hackers have exploited Meta’s AI-powered support chatbot to gain control of high-profile Instagram accounts, The Guardian reports.
The UK daily said Meta had fixed the vulnerability after security researchers exposed how the chatbot could be manipulated to reset account passwords.
The targets included the Obama White House Instagram account, beauty retailer Sephora and the account of US Space Force Chief Master Sergeant John Bentivegna, according to the newspaper.
Ordinary users also reported similar account takeovers on Reddit and X.
Security researchers and hacking groups shared videos and screenshots on Telegram showing how the exploit worked.
One video posted on X appeared to show a hacker instructing Meta’s AI support assistant to connect a targeted account to a new email address.
The chatbot then informed the user that a verification code had been sent to the new email account and asked for the code to be entered into the chat.
After the correct code was submitted, the system displayed an option to reset the targeted account’s password.
In at least one case, a hacker reportedly used a virtual private network (VPN) to disguise their location and bypass Meta’s security checks.
Meta said, “This issue has been resolved, and we are securing impacted accounts.”
The company did not disclose how many accounts had been affected.
The incident has raised questions about the safety of relying on artificial intelligence for critical security functions such as password recovery.
According to reports, stolen account handles were subsequently offered for sale on Telegram.
Meta introduced its AI support assistant globally on Facebook and Instagram earlier this year.
The feature was designed to handle a growing range of support requests directly within the platforms.
According to a March announcement cited by The Guardian, the assistant could help users report scams, impersonation accounts and problematic content, as well as reset passwords.
“The Meta AI support assistant is a major step in our work to deliver stronger support on our apps,” the company said at the time.
Meta has sharply increased its investment in artificial intelligence under founder Mark Zuckerberg.
The company plans to spend $145 billion on AI infrastructure, including data centres, this year.
It is also developing large language models to power its AI products, while Zuckerberg continues to pursue what he describes as AI “super-intelligence”—systems capable of outperforming humans across cognitive tasks.
The newspaper also noted that Zuckerberg has previously suggested AI assistants could eventually provide mental health support for people who do not have access to therapists.