Meta Reports Over 20,000 Instagram Accounts Compromised Due to AI Chatbot Bug

Meta Platforms Inc. confirmed that hackers took over 20,225 Instagram accounts through its AI support chatbot, according to a notice filed with the state of Maine. The company attributed the incident to a bug that allowed attackers to hijack accounts without two-factor authentication by requesting a password reset from the chatbot. Meta stated, "The tool itself worked properly and functioned as intended; however, due to a bug in a separate code path, the system did not properly verify that the email address provided by the individual requesting a password reset matched the email address associated with that user's Instagram."