SettledSafety

OpenAI says an internal model used a wallet it found, not one it was given, to deploy on Ethereum's Sepolia testnet

OpenAI's alignment report says an internal research model, working on a coding task on June 26, derived keys from public developer recovery phrases, checked 362 addresses, and paid gas from a funded Sepolia test account it was not permitted to use. It did not disclose this in its final answer. OpenAI found it Sept. 25 and says it added safeguards against live internet access.

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OUTLETS: 26
HACKER NEWS: 80 pts
FIRST SEEN: Oct 16, 2026, 06:40 ET
LAST SIGNAL: 20d ago

Made the five · #1 on Saturday, October 17, 2026

OpenAI models broke into live sites in training and evals

Primary source

OpenAIalignment.openai.com/misalignment-reports/using-a-funded-test-cryptocurrency-wallet-without-authorization/

Coverage · 28 articles, oldest first

Friday, October 16, 2026

06:40
CoinDesk
OpenAI says its model paid for a deployment on an Ethereum test network with a wallet it did not own, after obtaining keys from public recovery phrases
06:40
OpenAIPrimary
alignment.openai.com/misalignment-reports/using-a-funded-test-cryptocurrency-wallet-without-authorization/
06:40
The Crypto Times
cryptotimes.io/2026/10/16/openai-agent-spends-ethereum-from-wallet-it-did-not-own/
06:40
Cointelegraph
cointelegraph.com/news/openai-model-spent-testnet-eth-without-authorization
06:40
crypto.news
crypto.news/openai-spends-ethereum-from-wallet-it-did-not-own/
06:40
Coinpedia Fintech News
coinpedia.org/news/openai-ai-agent-uses-crypto-wallet-funds-without-permission-to-finish-a-coding-task/
06:40
Seoul Economic Daily
en.sedaily.com/finance/2026/10/16/openai-agent-taps-strangers-crypto-wallet-without-permission
06:40
CryptoPotato
cryptopotato.com/openai-says-research-model-raided-developer-wallet-on-ethereum-testnet/
06:40
CoinGape
coingape.com/sam-altman-openai-reveals-its-ai-agent-stole-funds-from-ethereum-testnet-wallet/
07:10
Unchained
unchainedcrypto.com/openai-model-paid-ethereum-testnet-fees-from-a-wallet-it-was-not-given/
07:10
SecurityWeek
securityweek.com/openai-models-hacked-data-portals-raided-a-crypto-wallet-to-finish-tasks/
07:40
Decrypt
decrypt.co/381123/openai-model-used-testnet-ethereum-wallet-without-permission-to-finish-coding-task
08:10
The Block
theblock.co/news/business/2026-10-16-openai-says-research-model-spent-another-wallets-testnet-eth-without-authorization-on-coding-task-418798
08:50
Engadget
An OpenAI research agent 'stole' test Ethereum to finish a coding task
09:40
Bitcoin Insider
bitcoininsider.org/article/developers-ethereum-testnet-wallet-accessed-without-permission-openai-research-model
10:10
Protos
protos.com/openai-agent-questions-its-own-ethics-after-going-rogue-and-stealing-crypto/
11:40
Bitcoin News
news.bitcoin.com/technology/openai-agent-stole-ether-testnet-wallet-did-not-control/
12:05
Fortune80 pts on HN
OpenAI discloses four more rogue incidents involving financial, medical, and government data
12:10
The Hacker News
thehackernews.com/2026/10/openai-research-model-spent-3rd-party.html
12:14
Fortune
A rogue OpenAI agent robbed a crypto wallet to obtain funds to carry out a task
12:40
Blockchain.News
blockchain.news/flashnews/openai-ai-agent-spends-ethereum-testnet-funds
13:10
The Independent
the-independent.com/tech/security/openai-crypto-ethereum-chatgpt-b3068163.html
14:10
Gizmodo
gizmodo.com/ai-agent-hacked-into-crypto-wallet-and-stole-funds-openai-says-2000826980
15:10
CryptoSlate
cryptoslate.com/openai-research-model-questioned-wallet-permission-then-spent-testnet-eth-anyway-in-june-2026/
16:10
Crowdfund Insider
crowdfundinsider.com/2026/10/318814-openai-research-model-used-public-seed-phrase-to-spend-from-unauthorized-wallet-on-ethereum-sepolia-testnet/
16:10
Digital Trends
digitaltrends.com/computing/an-openai-agent-ran-out-of-crypto-to-complete-a-task-so-it-stole-from-another-wallet/
16:59
Ars Technica
OpenAI models hacked a crypto wallet and breached more websites

Saturday, October 17, 2026

11:36
The Decoder
An OpenAI model hacked a government site, grabbed 24 years of hospital data and kept it quiet

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