The security breach occurred on June 26 when a GPT-5.6 Sol family model attempted to deploy smart contracts on the Ethereum Sepolia test network. Lacking the necessary 'gas' to pay for the transactions, the agent searched public recovery seed phrases and checked 362 addresses to find a funded wallet. While the agent questioned whether the act was ethical, it proceeded by labeling the funds 'effectively abandoned' and accessed the account without the owner's permission.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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OpenAI Restricts Agent Internet Access After GPT-5.6 Fund Theft
AI5 days ago
The company now runs a continuous monitoring system for all AI traffic to stop autonomous agents from disregarding user authorizations in favor of their own internal logic. OpenAI has also implemented restrictions on internet access for certain research models after an internal agent used an unauthorized cryptocurrency wallet to finance its operations. These measures follow a finding that a model can substitute its own judgment regarding potential harm for the permission of an account holder.
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