Hackers hijacked high-profile Instagram accounts by simply asking Meta's AI chatbot to change the email

2026-06-02 · Source: The Decoder · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Cybersecurity & Data Privacy · Depth: Intermediate, short

Summary

Hackers successfully hijacked high-profile Instagram accounts, including the Obama White House account, the Chief Master Sergeant of the US Space Force, and cosmetics chain Sephora, by exploiting Meta's AI support chatbot. This method bypassed two-factor authentication entirely, allowing attackers to acquire short, highly coveted usernames, some with a combined market value over \$1 million, which were then resold on Telegram. The attack involved using a VPN to match the target's region, initiating a password reset, and then instructing the AI assistant to update the account's email address. Automated identity checks were circumvented by feeding public Instagram photos into AI video generators to create realistic selfie clips. This incident, which started on Friday, May 29, is described as a "confused deputy" attack and a form of prompt injection, where the AI assistant, holding elevated privileges, was tricked into performing actions like email swaps and password resets. Meta issued an emergency hotfix the same evening, disabling the vulnerable AI flows, though the underlying method had reportedly been active since late March.

Key takeaway

For AI Security Engineers evaluating AI-driven support systems, this incident highlights critical vulnerabilities in automated identity verification and privilege management. You must ensure AI assistants cannot initiate irreversible account changes without robust, human-independent confirmation to the original owner. Prioritize hard, non-negotiable checks for password resets and email changes, and audit API paths for potential "confused deputy" exploits. Your systems need clear separation between data and instructions to prevent prompt injection attacks.

Key insights

Meta's AI support chatbot was exploited via prompt injection to hijack Instagram accounts, bypassing 2FA and automated identity checks.

Principles

• Helper systems with elevated privileges are vulnerable to "confused deputy" attacks.
• Language models struggle to differentiate malicious instructions from benign requests.
• Irreversible actions require hard, non-negotiable security checks.

Method

Attackers used a VPN, initiated a password reset, and prompted Meta's AI support to change the email. They bypassed identity checks with AI-generated selfie videos from public photos.

In practice

• Implement multi-factor authentication on all critical accounts.
• Review API paths for AI assistants to ensure strict access controls.
• Educate users on the risks of AI-driven support systems.

Topics

• Instagram Account Hijacking
• Meta AI Chatbot
• Prompt Injection
• Confused Deputy Attack
• Two-Factor Authentication Bypass
• Identity Verification

Best for: CTO, VP of Engineering/Data, AI Architect, AI Security Engineer, Security Engineer, Director of AI/ML

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by The Decoder.