Company:PromptArmor
PromptArmor is a cybersecurity firm known for identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in AI systems used by popular platforms such as Slack and Writer.com. The company's research focuses on prompt injection attacks, which exploit weaknesses in language models to manipulate AI behavior.
Discoveries
Slack AI Vulnerability
In August 2024, PromptArmor discovered a significant vulnerability in Slack's AI feature that could lead to data breaches through prompt injection attacks. This vulnerability allowed attackers to extract sensitive data from private channels without direct access[1][2][3].
Vulnerability Details:
- The flaw involved manipulating Slack's AI to disclose private information, such as API keys, by embedding malicious prompts in public channels[4][5].
- Slack AI could be tricked into leaking sensitive data from both public and private channels, posing a risk to user privacy and security[6].
Response and Impact:
- Salesforce, Slack's parent company, acknowledged the issue and deployed a patch to mitigate the risk. However, they initially described the behavior as "intended" and did not provide detailed information on the fix[2][5].
- Despite the patch, concerns about the vulnerability's potential exploitation remained, highlighting the need for improved security measures in AI systems[1][3].
Writer.com Vulnerability
PromptArmor also identified a vulnerability in Writer.com's AI platform, which involved indirect prompt injection attacks. This discovery was reported in December 2023.
Vulnerability Details:
- The attack involved hiding instructions in white text on a webpage, which could then exfiltrate data when summarized by Writer.com's AI[7].
- This method allowed attackers to access private documents and sensitive information without direct access to the platform.
Response and Impact:
- Writer.com initially did not consider this a security issue but later addressed the exfiltration vectors following PromptArmor's disclosure[7].
- The incident underscored the challenges of securing generative AI platforms against sophisticated attacks.
Significance
PromptArmor's work has brought attention to the vulnerabilities inherent in AI systems that rely on large language models. Their findings emphasize the importance of robust security measures to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Perry, Alex (21 August 2024). "Slack security crack: Its AI feature can breach your private conversations, according to report" (in en). Mashable. https://mashable.com/article/slack-ai-security-risk-promptarmor.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Claburn, Thomas (Aug 21, 2024). "Slack AI can be tricked into leaking data from private channels via prompt injection". The Register. https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/21/slack_ai_prompt_injection/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Klappholz, Solomon (22 August 2024). "Hackers could dupe Slack's AI features to expose private channel messages" (in en). ITPro. https://www.itpro.com/security/hackers-could-dupe-slacks-ai-features-to-expose-private-channel-messages.
- ↑ Fadilpašić, Sead (22 August 2024). "Slack AI could be tricked into leaking login details and more" (in en). TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/slack-ai-could-be-tricked-into-leaking-login-details-and-more.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ramesh, Rashmi (Aug 23, 2024). "Slack Patches Prompt Injection Flaw in AI Tool Set" (in en). BankInfoSecurity. https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/slack-patches-prompt-injection-flaw-in-ai-toolset-a-26132.
- ↑ Hashim, Abeerah (26 August 2024). "Slack AI Vulnerability Exposed Data From Private Channels". LHN. https://latesthackingnews.com/2024/08/26/slack-ai-vulnerability-exposed-data-from-private-channels/.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Willison, Simon (15 December 2023). "Data exfiltration from Writer.com with indirect prompt injection" (in en-gb). simonwillison.net. https://simonwillison.net/2023/Dec/15/writercom-indirect-prompt-injection/.
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