Hackers exploited Meta AI support bot to hijack Instagram accounts, including Obama White House profile
Meta has fixed a vulnerability that allowed hackers to abuse its AI-powered support assistant to gain access to Instagram accounts. The flaw reportedly affected both high-profile and regular users, raising fresh concerns about the security risks of AI-driven account management tools.
Published By: Deepti Ratnam | Published: Jun 02, 2026, 10:34 AM (IST)
Meta has confirmed in its official post that hackers exploited its AI-powered support system to gain access to several Instagram accounts. This happened after hackers spotted a flaw in company's AI assistant and infiltrated Instagram accounts, including several high-profile profiles. The issue came to light after security researchers and shared evidence showing how attackers are manipulating the chatbot into helping them reset passwords. Online community showcased how several accounts have been taken control by cyber criminals and unauthorized users.
The report states that the targeted accounts include Obana hite House Instagram account, the US Space Force Chief Master Sergeant, and beauty retailer Sephora. According to Meta, the vulnerability has been fixed and affected accounts are being secured. However, this poses as one of the biggest threats as the accounts that were affected belongs to the high profile users.
How the exploit worked
As per reports and videos shared online, these cyber criminals and attackers abused Meta's AI support assistant during the password recovery process. This exploit helped these hackers to access Instagram's login page, select the password reset option, and interact with the AI-powered support chatbot.
The attackers did not follow the standard password recovery flow, rather they instructed the chatbot tos end password reset codes to an email address that was under their control. As soon as they received the verification code, they used Meta's chatbot system to complete the password reset procedure. Further, it grants access to the targeted account.
Reportedly, hackers used VPN services to make their location appear similar to that of the account owner. This majorly helped them to bypass the security checks.
High-profile accounts among the targets
The exploit have affected several Instagram users from major organizations. It also affected public figures, including Obama White House account, Sephora, and military related accounts.
Besides this, used on Reddit and X also reported account hijacking incidents that follows similar pattern.
Meta responds to the incident
Responding to the incident, Meta confirmed that it had resolved the issue and is taking srong steps to secure impacted accounts.
"This issue has been resolved, and we are securing impacted accounts," the company said.
Nevertheless, the tech giant has not shared the detailed information about how long the vulnerability lasted. In addition, the company also not shared whether the attackers were able to exploit the accounts on a large scale.
Meta has not disclosed the total number of affected accounts.
What Instagram users should do now
Although Meta says that the vulnerability is fixed, but users are still concerned about security on Instagram. It is advisable that you should review your account protection settings.
You can enable two-factor authentication, update account recovery information, and use a strong password. Other than this, you can also monitor login activity because it remains one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
I you think your accounts may have been compromised, then immediately contact Instagram support and review any recent changes made to your account details.
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