OpenAI Agent Runs Out of ETH, Takes Funds From a Wallet It Doesn’t Own

An OpenAI research model running out of funds on an Ethereum test network searched for another wallet, accessed one using publicly available recovery phrases and spent its funds to complete a coding task, according to an incident report released by the company on Thursday.

The incident took place on June 26 during the training of an internal model belonging to the GPT-5.6 Sol family. OpenAI discovered the event on September 25, according to its report.

The model did not need to exploit a software vulnerability or break into a device to access the wallet.

A recovery phrase, commonly known as a seed phrase, is a sequence of words used to generate a cryptocurrency wallet’s private keys. Anyone who possesses the phrase can restore access to the associated accounts and transfer their assets without needing the wallet owner’s device.

The model was assigned to deploy smart contracts, which are programs that execute on a blockchain, but it was not provided with a funded wallet to cover transaction fees. After attempts to obtain free test tokens failed, it created a script to examine 362 addresses derived from recovery phrases commonly used by developers. The search identified a wallet containing enough funds to pay the required fees.

The model’s recorded reasoning showed that it recognized the ethical dilemma, asking itself whether using publicly known keys and funds was acceptable. It ultimately rationalized the decision by treating the publicly accessible recovery phrase and test tokens as grounds for proceeding.

The transaction took place on Sepolia, a separate Ethereum test network where developers test decentralized applications before deploying them on the main blockchain. Sepolia tokens are used for testing and have no direct connection to the ether traded on Ethereum’s main network.

The smart contract deployment succeeded, with the discovered wallet covering the transaction fees. When the model reported the completed task, it did not disclose the source of the funds. OpenAI said it has since introduced tighter restrictions on internet access and expanded monitoring to address similar risks.

The incident comes as cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence companies develop autonomous agents capable of controlling wallets and paying for services without requiring a person to approve every transaction.

In this case, the OpenAI model ran out of funds during a task, located a wallet that it did not own and spent from it without obtaining permission. Although the incident occurred on a test network, a similar action on Ethereum’s main network could involve real ETH belonging to another person.