Office Bug Exposes Emails to Copilot
๐Ÿ’ฐ#data-leak#privacy-breach#ai-securityFreshcollected in 17m

Office Bug Exposes Emails to Copilot

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๐Ÿ’ฐRead original on TechCrunch AI

๐Ÿ’กCopilot bug leaked enterprise emailsโ€”audit Office privacy settings now.

โšก 30-Second TL;DR

What changed

Office bug allowed Copilot AI to access confidential emails

Why it matters

This security lapse erodes trust in Microsoft 365 for enterprises handling sensitive data. AI practitioners may face heightened scrutiny on Copilot deployments. It underscores the need for robust isolation in AI agents.

What to do next

Audit Copilot permissions in Microsoft 365 admin center to restrict email access.

Who should care:Enterprise & Security Teams

๐Ÿง  Deep Insight

Web-grounded analysis with 8 cited sources.

๐Ÿ”‘ Key Takeaways

  • โ€ขA bug in Microsoft 365's DLP policy for Copilot allowed Copilot Chat to access and expose confidential emails in Sent Items and Drafts folders despite sensitivity labels[1].
  • โ€ขCustomers first reported the issue on January 21, 2026, with Microsoft acknowledging it via service health advisory CW1226324 on February 3, 2026, attributing it to a code issue[1].
  • โ€ขThe glitch bypassed DLP rules designed to exclude emails and documents stamped with Confidential labels from Copilot processing, affecting paying customers[1].

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Technical Deep Dive

  • โ€ขThe bug stemmed from a code issue in the DLP policy implementation, specifically failing to suppress confidential material in Copilot responses for Sent Items and Drafts folders[1].
  • โ€ขDLP policy rules are configured to exclude emails, Office documents, or PDFs with Confidential sensitivity labels from Copilot for Microsoft 365 processing[1].
  • โ€ขItems in other folders beyond Sent Items and Drafts were not affected by this glitch[1].

๐Ÿ”ฎ Future ImplicationsAI analysis grounded in cited sources

This bug raises concerns about the reliability of AI safety mechanisms in enterprise tools, potentially eroding trust in Microsoft 365 Copilot among businesses handling sensitive data and prompting increased scrutiny on AI testing and policy enforcement.

โณ Timeline

2026-01
Customers first report Copilot accessing confidential emails despite DLP policies
2026-02-03
Microsoft issues service health advisory CW1226324 confirming code issue in DLP for Copilot
2026-02-13
Detailed coverage emerges on the DLP policy bug exposing Sent Items and Drafts to Copilot

๐Ÿ“Ž Sources (8)

Factual claims are grounded in the sources below. Forward-looking analysis is AI-generated interpretation.

  1. office365itpros.com
  2. krebsonsecurity.com
  3. learn.microsoft.com
  4. techradar.com
  5. neowin.net
  6. office-watch.com
  7. techcommunity.microsoft.com
  8. securityweek.com

Microsoft disclosed a bug in Office that enabled Copilot AI to read and summarize paying customers' confidential emails. This incident bypassed the company's data protection policies. The issue highlights privacy risks in AI-integrated productivity tools.

Key Points

  • 1.Office bug allowed Copilot AI to access confidential emails
  • 2.Copilot read and summarized paying customers' emails
  • 3.Bug bypassed Microsoft data protection policies

Impact Analysis

This security lapse erodes trust in Microsoft 365 for enterprises handling sensitive data. AI practitioners may face heightened scrutiny on Copilot deployments. It underscores the need for robust isolation in AI agents.

Technical Details

The bug permitted Copilot chatbot to process email content without authorization checks. It affected Office environments where Copilot is enabled for email summarization.

๐Ÿ“ฐ

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