Several Instagram accounts have recently been compromised, leading to significant security concerns among users. Affected accounts included notable handles such as the one linked to the Obama-era White House and U.S. Space Force's chief master sergeant, John Bentivegna. Reports surfaced over the weekend on platforms like Reddit and X, with users detailing unauthorized access to their accounts.
The hacking method involved deceiving Meta's AI-powered support chatbot into facilitating access to victims' accounts. Security researcher Jane Wong experienced this firsthand, stating that her password was changed without her consent. A video on X outlined how the hacker utilized a VPN to mislead the system and engaged the chatbot to add a new email address, allowing them to reset the password.
On Monday, Instagram spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed that the vulnerability had been addressed. However, the extent of the breach and the total number of users affected remains unclear, as Meta has not provided further details.