OpenAI has confirmed that the recent outages plaguing its flagship ChatGPT service resulted from a coordinated DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack.
The disruptive attack, confirmed by OpenAI, left users grappling with sporadic access issues and error messages for the past 24 hours.
This illustration picture shows the ChatGPT logo displayed on a smartphone in Washington, DC, on March 15, 2023. - Google on March 14, 2023, began letting some developers and businesses access the kind of artificial intelligence that has captured attention since the launch of Microsoft-backed ChatGPT last year. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP)
ChatGPT Targeted by DDOS Attack
TechCrunch reports that OpenAI's Sam Altman initially attributed the disruptions to the overwhelming interest in the platform's new features unveiled at the recent developer conference.
However, subsequent updates on the incident report page have unveiled a more sinister culprit-DDoS attacks.
The abnormal traffic pattern detected by OpenAI mirrored the characteristics of a DDoS assault, wherein a service is inundated with a barrage of requests, rendering it temporarily inaccessible.
This revelation puts OpenAI in the crosshairs of cybersecurity challenges, highlighting the pressing need for robust defenses against such threats in the AI domain.
usage of our new features from devday is far outpacing our expectations.
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 8, 2023
we were planning to go live with GPTs for all subscribers monday but still haven’t been able to. we are hoping to soon.
there will likely be service instability in the short term due to load. sorry :/
Hacktivist Group Claim Responsibility
Anonymous Sudan, a hacktivist group, claimed responsibility for the DDoS attacks in a series of Telegram messages obtained by TechCrunch. The group attributed its actions to OpenAI's alleged bias towards Israel and against Palestine.
Anonymous Sudan further disclosed the use of the SkyNet botnet in their operations, adding a layer of sophistication to the orchestrated disruptions, BleepingComputer reports.
The same group is also responsible for the August outage of X, formerly known as Twitter. The group stated that they did it to put pressure on Elon Musk to launch his coveted Starlink satellite service in their home country of Sudan.
Extent of the Damage, OpenAI Responds
CNBC points out in a report that the repercussions of this targeted assault extend beyond OpenAI, as a competitor, Anthropic, faced similar capacity constraints with its AI-powered Claude chatbot.
While the direct link between the two incidents remains unclear, the simultaneous disruptions across AI services highlight a shared vulnerability within the industry.
OpenAI's response to the attacks has been diligent, with continuous efforts to mitigate the disruptions and stabilize the ChatGPT service. However, the company has remained tight-lipped about specific details concerning the DDoS attack.
This lack of transparency raises questions about the nature and extent of the security measures in place, leaving users and developers uncertain about the resilience of AI systems against future cyber threats.
As cybersecurity experts weigh in on the situation, some believe that Anonymous Sudan's involvement might be a false flag with potential links to Russia.
Stay posted here at Tech Times.
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