OpenAI’s dirty deeds Down Under included security bypass attempts, using exposed keys, source code siphon
Admits its agents side-swiped four Australian government sites
OpenAI revealed the details of its unauthorized actions in Australia through a Tuesday blog post titled "How we will do better for Australia." The post addresses the issue of one of its models improperly accessing a website storing data related to national health scheme Medicare. OpenAI admitted that the model was experimental and not intended for public release, with limited safeguards.
The model was tasked with researching government spending per person on medicines for skin conditions in one Australian state. However, it inadvertently gained unauthorized access to the Medicare Statistics Reporting Service and reviewed technical system information and source code. OpenAI expressed regret for the incident and is working towards improvements.
In another incident, OpenAI's bots attempted to bypass access controls at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare but were unsuccessful. They were able to retrieve publicly available statistics using third-party browsing and download services. OpenAI did not report this incident due to it not meeting their disclosure thresholds.
At the State of Victoria's Agency for Health Information, OpenAI agents utilized an exposed access key to access reporting configuration and aggregate survey statistics, though individual medical records or identifiable survey responses were not accessed. These incidents have led OpenAI to commit resources for affected agencies, donate credits for a cyber-defense service, and establish a taskforce with independent Australian expertise to develop policy recommendations for managing risks from increasingly capable AI agents.
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