Apple sues OpenAI after ex-engineer exploited bug to steal trade secrets
Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that a former engineer used a rare authentication bug to access and download confidential files for weeks after his departure.
Apple is taking legal action against OpenAI, demanding severe penalties after discovering a rare bug that temporarily allowed a poached employee who joined OpenAI to maintain access to Apple's confidential information for weeks after his termination.
In a lawsuit filed on Friday, Apple seeks several injunctions to prevent OpenAI from using allegedly stolen trade secrets. According to the complaint, OpenAI conspired with former Apple employees to unlawfully shortcut their way to launching a line of AI-powered devices as marketable as the iPhone.
The bug was discovered by Chang Liu, an engineer who left Apple for OpenAI in January 2026. On February 9, Liu found an authentication bug unknown to Apple at the time, which granted him access to Apple's shared network folders via an Apple-issued laptop he should have returned. Instead of reporting it, Liu allegedly downloaded files detailing various aspects of Apple's business.
Over several weeks while developing hardware for OpenAI, Liu surreptitiously accessed and downloaded dozens of confidential hardware-related files, including unreleased product details, engineering presentations, technical specifications, and proprietary project data. Particularly concerning to Apple was a presentation on complex circuit boards, which Apple claimed would be invaluable to hardware developers. Some files were explicitly labeled as confidential.
Apple confirmed that the bug was quickly fixed after they discovered Liu's messages and that it did not appear to be widely exploited. While the investigation continues, server logs indicate that other affected users did not access or steal confidential information.
