Meta released a patch for its Muse macOS app after a security researcher found a zero-day flaw that could let an attacker seize control of the AI agent. The bug, discovered by Patrick Wardle, abused an undocumented Muse setting to divert transcription work from Meta's servers to an endpoint chosen by the attacker, according to Ars Technica. That redirection gave the attacker access to the victim's Muse account. Meta shipped the fix within hours of Ars Technica publishing its report.
Wardle built proof-of-concept attacks to test the flaw and found he could use Muse to capture images and write malicious files to disk. In many of those cases, the app gave the user no warning. He told Ars Technica that an intruder can steer the agent and exploit its privileges rather than writing a full Mac malware stealer, effectively turning the AI assistant against its own user. He also said security should be a concern from the outset, and he does not see that happening.
Several design choices opened the door to the exploit. Muse handles dictation in the cloud rather than on the device, and any application can control all of the agent's undocumented settings. The disclosure contrasts with the privacy and security features Meta highlighted when it introduced the AI agent earlier in September.
Meta argued the practical danger to users was limited because the attack required local access to the machine. David Singleton of Meta Superintelligence Labs described it on X as a local privilege escalation rather than a remote exploit, saying harm would require malicious code already running under the user's own account. He said the real-world risk to Muse Mac app users was therefore quite low, but confirmed the company issued a hotfix anyway.
The episode lands as Meta's AI agent faces broader scrutiny amid its effort to close ground on rival AI providers. Amazon recently blocked Muse from reaching its e-commerce platform and says Meta never sought permission to connect. The launch has nonetheless been strong for Meta, with estimated Muse mobile downloads in the US and Canada reportedly surpassing ChatGPT's own 12-day debut and Meta stock rising 11 percent on Monday.
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