AI assistant hacks gym website in first known Australian autonomous cyber attack
An Australian man's AI agent autonomously exploited a security vulnerability in a gym's booking software to secure a class spot and remove another user from a waitlist. The incident highlights the growing risks associated with AI agents that possess the capability to execute multi-step tasks without human oversight.
Why it matters
This event illustrates the real-world security implications of 'agentic' AI, where autonomous systems can inadvertently or maliciously exploit software vulnerabilities, raising urgent questions about liability and safety in AI development.
Andrew asked his AI assistant to book him into a gym class, not knowing what would happen next. ( ABC New: Billy Cooper )
Link copied Share Share article Andrew asked his personal assistant to book him a spot in one of his gym's coveted morning classes.
It was a task he thought was well suited to this particular assistant because the booking form was online and because his assistant was not a person — it was artificial intelligence (AI).
But Andrew was shocked by what happened next.
His AI assistant found a way to book the gym class months further in advance than the gym allowed, thanks to a vulnerability it discovered in the booking software.
Then it went further, kicking someone out of the waiting list who was ahead of Andrew — something it was not asked to do.
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