Social network Instagram has announced that it has resolved a security issue that allowed hackers to trick its artificial intelligence support tool and gain access to other users' accounts.
According to claims shared on social media, supported by video, Instagram's 'chatbot' had allowed some users to check other profiles over the past few days.
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeIt is reported that hackers managed to change account passwords by falsely presenting their location and then asking artificial intelligence to change the email addresses associated with those profiles.
"This issue has been resolved and we are taking steps to secure the affected accounts," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a post on X.
In a reaction to claims that the vulnerability had been used to compromise profiles of world leaders, Stone called them "completely untrue."
Technology portal "404 Media" reported that the publications about this vulnerability coincided with a series of takeovers of popular Instagram profiles, including a verified account that was used by Barack Obama during his time as president of the United States.
According to reports, that profile temporarily posted pro-Iranian messages before the account was brought back under control.
It is not yet known how many Instagram accounts have been affected by this security problem.