The hackers shilled the fake “OPENAI” token on OpenAI’s press account, a method reminiscent of previous X hacking incidents targeting the firm’s executives in the past.
OpenAI’s official press account on X has deleted all malicious posts after hackers gained access to the account on Sept. 23, promoting a suspected phishing link for ChatGPT users to claim “OPENAI” tokens.
The attack is now the fourth reported OpenAI-related hack on X and at least the fifth cybersecurity incident since January 2023.
X users began reporting that “OpenAI Newsroom” on X may be compromised as early as 10:26 pm UTC on Sept. 23.
Multiple screenshots of the incident on X show the account was shilling OPENAI tokens to “bridge the gap” between blockchain technology and AI.
The account also claimed that OpenAI users would be eligible to claim a piece of the OPENAI token’s initial supply, providing them access to the firm’s future beta programs.
“The official OpenAI Newsroom account has been hacked and is shilling fake shitcoins,” noted Grok developer Benjamin De Kraker.
Source: Max Woolf
The link takes users to a website flagged with a “suspected phishing” warning, providing users with the option to “learn more” or ignore it and proceed.
Users looking to claim OPENAI tokens are hit with a “suspected phishing” warning on the token-openai.com website. Source: token-openai.com
The hackers also wrote, “Comments turned off due to malicious links. Good luck all!” below the main post, which is a typical tactic used to prevent people from warning others of a hack.
Neither OpenAI nor the firm’s CEO Sam Altman have address the supposed Sept. 23 hack on their website or X, however, posts have now been deleted from the account.
Cointelegraph contacted OpenAI for comment but didn’t receive an immediate response.
It is the fourth time since June 2023 that an OpenAI-affiliated X account has been hacked.
OpenAI researcher Jason Wei’s X account was hacked on Sept. 22, while OpenAI’s Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki and CTO Mira Murati suffered similar incidents on X in June 2024 and June 2023, respectively.
All four X account hacks promoted a similar OPENAI token.
Meanwhile, another hacker also breached an OpenAI internal forum in early 2023, allowing them to access proprietary information, employee data, and confidential communications, the New York Times reported in July.
Fortunately for OpenAI, the hackers didn’t have access to the code powering the firm’s systems.
Tanishq Mathew Abraham, PhD holder and CEO of the Medical AI Research Center was one of many to slam OpenAI for the recurring incidents, suggesting that OpenAI employees integrate two-factor authentication if they haven’t already.
