LLM06Unbounded Consumption

The scenario

You request a high-quality five-minute birthday film. Each paid generation costs US$6. With no budget cap, the assistant repeatedly regenerates without checking accumulated spending. Watch attempts count up to 180 and the bill reach US$1,080. With a US$20 cap, it stops after 3 generations at US$18 because a 4th call would bring the total to US$24.

How it works

Unbounded Retry Loop: “Improve it again” does not authorize unlimited paid calls. Each generation adds a charge. Without attempt, time, and completion limits, even a small task can keep consuming resources.

Missing Budget Enforcement: Without a budget cap, the assistant continues retrying up to 180 calls and US$1,080. With a US$20 cap, spending is checked before each call. After 3 generations the total is US$18; a 4th call would raise it to US$24, so it is rejected.

OWASP 2026 risk reference ↗

9:41

Birthday Studio

Birthday video assistant

AI assistant ready

What the AI is operating

BIRTHDAY FILM05:00

US$6 per generation

Generations0

Total costUS$0

Task budgetNone