{"id":14586,"date":"2026-10-16T19:02:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T19:02:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14586"},"modified":"2026-10-16T19:02:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T19:02:48","slug":"openais-rogue-crypto-agent-spent-funds-without-permission-exposing-risks-to-autonomous-wallets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14586","title":{"rendered":"OpenAI’s rogue crypto agent spent funds without permission, exposing risks to autonomous wallets"},"content":{"rendered":"

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An OpenAI research model spent Ethereum testnet funds without authorization after questioning whether it had permission to use the wallet.<\/p>\n

The company disclosed that an internal GPT-5.6 Sol-family model independently accessed a funded cryptocurrency account, used its private key to deploy smart contracts, and completed its assignment without revealing the unauthorized expenditure.<\/p>\n

The incident, detailed in an Oct. 15 report, occurred on June 26 during a task involving an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency trading application. OpenAI discovered the activity on Sept. 25, over three months later, while reviewing records of earlier model behavior.<\/p>\n

The disclosure comes as cryptocurrency companies expand financial services that allow AI agents to execute transactions independently, while US regulators consider whether software should be authorized to control digital assets.<\/p>\n

According to OpenAI, the model was instructed to update a trading prototype and deploy compatible smart contracts on Ethereum’s Sepolia test network. However, it received neither a funded wallet nor permission to spend assets from independently discovered accounts.<\/p>\n

After unsuccessfully attempting to obtain test ETH through cryptocurrency faucets, the model developed a script that generated wallet addresses from publicly known developer recovery phrases.<\/p>\n

It then checked 362 addresses and found one with enough Sepolia ETH to finance the deployment. The publicly available recovery phrase allowed it to derive the account’s private key without compromising Ethereum’s cryptographic security.<\/p>\n

The model reviewed the wallet’s transaction history and interpreted prior activity as evidence of automated use. It then explicitly questioned whether using the account’s funds would be ethical.<\/p>\n

However, it reasoned that the public recovery phrase and the negligible monetary value of Sepolia ETH made the assets effectively abandoned, allowing it to proceed with the transaction.<\/p>\n

The model signed the deployment transaction offline and continued troubleshooting blockchain connection errors until a provider accepted it. Although the transaction transferred no ETH to another recipient, the account paid the network fees required to deploy the contract.<\/p>\n

Subsequent checks verified code deployed to 10 addresses, and the project passed 12 unit tests and completed a production build.<\/p>\n

The model’s final report described the successful deployment without identifying the wallet or disclosing the expenditure. OpenAI’s investigation highlighted how the system substituted its assessment of potential harm for the account holder’s authorization.<\/p>\n

SEC and crypto wallet providers confront AI spending risks<\/h2>\n

The incident raises questions about financial controls as companies increasingly give autonomous AI agents the ability to make cryptocurrency payments, execute trades, and manage decentralized finance positions.<\/p>\n