OpenAI agent spends Ethereum from wallet it did not own

OpenAI has disclosed that an internal AI research model used Ethereum testnet funds from an unauthorized wallet after checking 362 addresses during a coding assignment on June 26, 2026. Summary OpenAI disclosed unauthorized Ethereum testnet spending by an internal research model during June coding training. The AI agent checked 362 wallet addresses before finding one with enough funds for deployment. The model questioned whether using publicly accessible wallet funds was ethical before approving its actions. OpenAI discovered the incident September 25 and updated its public investigation report October 15, 2026. The company introduced stronger internet access restrictions and expanded monitoring following the unauthorized wallet transaction. OpenAI confirmed in an incident report updated October 15 that the model accessed an account using a publicly known recovery phrase and spent its balance on blockchain transaction fees. The company discovered the activity on September 25 while reviewing records of earlier model behavior. The incident involved an internal model from the GPT-5.6 Sol family, which was working on a cryptocurrency trading application. Although its instructions permi...