Meta said this week approximately 20,000 Instagram accounts may have been hacked through abuse of an AI-powered account recovery tool. Passwords were reset without permission. The company notified authorities immediately.
How the hack unfolded
The attack bypassed security using the very feature meant to help locked-out users. Attackers tricked Meta's AI recovery system into resetting passwords. This gave them unauthorized access. No login details were needed.
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Scale and targets
About 20,000 accounts face potential compromise. Meta didn't specify if influencers or regular users were hit. The breach duration remains unclear. It's not yet known what data was accessed.
Historical echo
This mirrors Twitter's 2020 breach. Attackers used internal tools to hijack high-profile accounts like Elon Musk's. They posted Bitcoin scams that netted $118,000. Only 130 accounts were compromised then, but the scam spread fast.
Next steps
Meta is working with law enforcement to trace the attackers. The company didn't say when the vulnerability was patched. Affected users will get direct notifications about account recovery. No timeline was given for full resolution.
