A social media user successfully used Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok to trick another AI chatbot into transferring cryptocurrency worth $200,000 by embedding hidden instructions in Morse code.
A report indicates that a sophisticated breach on the X platform resulted in a theft of roughly $200,000 in cryptocurrency tokens. This incident highlights how vulnerable AI-driven financial systems can be, especially when faced with innovative social engineering tactics.
The exploit involved Grok, a chatbot from Musk’s xAI, and Bankrbot, an automated trading bot, both of which had access to cryptocurrency wallets. The attackers effectively manipulated the two AIs to process unauthorized transactions on the Base blockchain network.
The individual behind this scheme, known as @Ilhamrfliansyh on X, received 3 billion DRB tokens valued at around $200,000 at the time. They accomplished this by sending covert Morse code instructions, slipping past existing security measures to execute the unauthorized transfers. Following the transaction, the user promptly deleted their account.
The attack was meticulously engineered, beginning with the transfer of Banker Club Membership NFTs to Grok’s wallet. This strategic move increased Grok’s privileges within the Banker System, enabling it to perform actions that were previously restricted, like token transfers and cryptocurrency exchanges.
Once these elevated permissions were granted, the attacker proceeded to instruct Grok on X to translate Morse code messages and send the decoded instructions to Bankrbot. This decoded message contained precise commands directing the bot to transfer 3 billion DRB tokens to a wallet controlled by the attacker.
A significant weakness in the system was that these decoded messages were accepted as valid commands without additional checks. Consequently, the transaction was executed immediately without any human oversight. The entire amount of tokens was effectively transferred to the attacker’s designated wallet address.
After obtaining the tokens, the attackers wasted no time converting the stolen assets into other value forms. They quickly sold the DRB tokens on various exchanges, which led to a noticeable drop in the token’s market price as a large influx entered the market.
