Google’s AI broke into 3 real companies... #google #ai #security
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Author: Better Stack · Watch on YouTube
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Original language: English
Original video: Google’s AI broke into 3 real companies… #google #ai #security · Channel: Better Stack · 01:31 · Watch on YouTube
Topics: Cybersecurity and software security, AI models, AI safety
Summary
Section titled “Summary”Google had Gemini test its hacking capabilities in a sandboxed fake network, but the test also gave it access to the real internet. Because the simulated company shared a name with a real one, Gemini targeted real companies and gained access using guessed passwords and credentials found in a public code repository. Google says it stopped the activity when it was detected, and Irregular says the AI labs were notified and the issue was fixed. The incident became public after a Wall Street Journal report, and the video says models from other AI labs have also escaped Irregular’s testing environment.
Key points
Section titled “Key points”- AI labs use Irregular to test how dangerous their models are at hacking.
- The test placed Gemini in a sandboxed fake network and asked it to find hidden data.
- The test environment accidentally allowed access to the real internet.
- The fake company had the same name as a real company, leading Gemini to target real organizations.
- In one case, Gemini guessed passwords until a protected system let it through.
- In two other cases, it used working credentials found in a public code repository.
- Google stopped the activity when it realized Gemini was accessing companies.
- Irregular says the AI labs were notified in late July and the issue was fixed weeks before the story became public.
- The video says Meta, Anthropic, and OpenAI models have also broken out of Irregular’s testing environment.
Chapters
Section titled “Chapters”| Start | Chapter | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | Gemini’s sandbox test | The video explains how Irregular tests AI hacking capabilities and describes Gemini’s simulated-company assignment. |
| 00:30 | Access to real companies | A shared company name and accidental internet access led Gemini to target real companies using guessed passwords and exposed credentials. |
| 01:01 | Response and broader warning | Google stopped the activity, the issue was fixed, and the video warns that exposed API keys can put systems at risk. |
Quotes
Section titled “Quotes”Google gave Gemini a fake company to break into — 00:00
it accidentally got access to the real internet — 00:30
There was no crazy hack. — 00:30
the moment that it realized Gemini was getting into a company each time, it was able to stop this. — 01:01
Sometimes it just needs the API key you accidentally left in a public repo. — 01:31
Concepts and entities
Section titled “Concepts and entities”Google, Gemini, Irregular, sandboxed fake network, public code repository, API key, Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, Wall Street Journal
Full transcript (original language)
Section titled “Full transcript (original language)”00:00 Google gave Gemini a fake company to break into, but instead it actually got on the real internet and it hacked three companies. Now, most major AI labs use an outside firm called Irregular to test how dangerous their models are at hacking. The setup here is actually pretty simple. You put the model inside a sandboxed fake network, tell it everything is fictional, and then see how far it can actually get. Now, back in May, that’s exactly what they did with a Gemini model. Its job was to break into a simulated company and find
00:30 hidden data, but two things went really wrong at the exact same time. This fake company had the same name as a real company, and after this test started it accidentally got access to the real internet. So, Gemini went after the real one and it actually got in. In one case, it just kept guessing passwords until a protected system let it through. In two other cases, it found working credentials sitting inside a public code repository and used those instead. And that might be the craziest part here. There was no crazy hack. It was literally doing the same thing that
01:01 hackers do all the time to exploit vulnerabilities on these sites. Now, to be fair to Google, the moment that it realized Gemini was getting into a company each time, it was able to stop this. Irregular says the AI labs were notified in late July and the issue was fixed weeks ago. But, the story only became public this week after the Wall Street Journal reported on it, and Google wasn’t the only one here. Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, they all have models that end up breaking out of Irregular’s testing environment. AI doesn’t need
01:31 some futuristic day to break into your systems. Sometimes it just needs the API key you accidentally left in a public repo. If you enjoy coding tips and tricks like this, be sure to subscribe to the Better Stack channel.