OpenAI X Account Hacked Again, Promoting a Fake $OPENAI Token Claim – Is OpenAI Under Siege?

• OpenAI-affiliated X accounts have faced multiple phishing attacks since 2023.
• The last incident occurred yesterdaywhen malicious actors promoted a fake $OPENAI token.
• The company'sinternal forum also suffered a breach last year, but the incident was only reported in July 2024.

OpenAI's press account on X was hacked yesterday, promoting a phishing link for the $OPENAI token claim. This is the fourth time malicious actors have targeted the company's X account since January 2023.

Let's unpack what happened and how OpenAI responded to the incident.

Fake $OPENAI Token Claim

Around 22:26 UTC on September 23, OpenAI Newsroom followers began reporting suspicious activity.

The account claimed all ChatGPT users are eligible for a share of $OPENAI tokens, which are meant to bridge the gap between AI and blockchain technology.'

Users noticed their browsers flagged the link as suspected phishing.'However, they couldn't warn others in the comments because hackers turned them off.

Neither OpenAI Newsletter nor the company's CEO Sam Altman has addressed the incident on their X accounts, but malicious posts have been taken down.OpenAI Under Siege

Yesterday's attack is the fourth time cybercriminals have targeted OpenAI-affiliated accounts promoting the $OPENAI token.

The first case occurred in June 2023, when bad actors broke into OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's X account. A year later, the company's Chief Scientist, Jakub Pachocki, suffered a similar incident. The most recent case was reported on September 22 by OpenAI researcher Jason Wei.

Beyond X hacks, attackers breached the OpenAI internal forum in 2023. They accessed confidential information, including employee data and communications, but haven't gained access to the firm's code.

The company didn't disclose the incident until July 2024 because it didn't affect the source code or customer data.

Still, the lack of communication is concerning, given the ethical implications of such a breach and the sensitive nature of the information accessed.

Tanishq Mathew Abraham, PhD, among many others, criticized OpenAI for poor security measures that led to recurring incidents.

ChatGPT Spills the Beans

Despite frequent cyberattacks on OpenAI, it appears that ChatGPT can reveal internal information without any external intervention.

Earlier this year, a Reddit user wrote that the chatbot revealed its ethical system instructions in response to a simple greeting.

ChatGPT's response included guidelines on selecting information sources and instructions to prioritize diversity. It also included a ban on depicting public figures or copyrighted characters.

A Call for Transparency

OpenAI's repeated cyberattacks suggest a systemic issue that requires closer attention from the company's leaders.

Additionally, the lack of timely communication regarding the incident raises concerns about OpenAI's commitment to transparency and user safety.

Will OpenAI take measures to prevent future breaches? We'll have to wait and see.

References

• OpenAI's press account hacked for fifth time (Bitget)
• Tanishq Mathew Abraham, PhD (X)

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