Security researchers at Truffle Security found that roughly 2,863 live Google Cloud API keys, originally published on the open web as low-risk billing identifiers for services like Maps, silently gained access to private Gemini AI project data after Google enabled Gemini access on the same projects. With a valid key, an attacker could access a victim’s uploaded files and cached data, or charge Gemini usage to the victim’s account; one developer reported an $82,314 bill accumulated in a single day. Affected organizations included financial institutions, security companies, global recruiting firms, and Google itself. Google’s initial response to the disclosure was that the behavior was "intended," before later tightening how unrestricted keys can access Gemini.