Overview
- Attackers manipulated Meta’s AI support assistant to add attacker-controlled emails and then use verification codes to reset Instagram passwords, an exploit first reported at the end of May when users began posting takeovers.
- Meta pushed an emergency patch and said it secured impacted accounts and is restoring access to affected users, but the company has not disclosed how many accounts were affected.
- Several users and researchers reported new compromises after the announced fix and high-value profiles including Sephora and a dormant Obama White House account were briefly defaced with pro‑Iran imagery.
- The reported attack steps combined simple tools such as VPNs to spoof location with social‑engineering prompts and, in some cases, synthetic media or modified emulators to convince the bot to change recovery details.
- Security experts say multi‑factor authentication stopped many attempts and that the incident highlights wider risks of granting LLMs direct control over sensitive account actions unless stricter verification and red‑teaming are enforced.