EP198 GenAI Security: Unseen Attack Surfaces & AI Pentesting Lessons
Nov 11, 2024
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Ante Gojsalic, Co-Founder & CTO at SplxAI, dives into the intricacies of securing generative AI applications. He outlines the unique challenges of penetration testing in this realm, such as non-determinism and the complex interplay of data and applications. Ante discusses the most concerning current attack surfaces and shares his insights on common security mistakes companies make. He emphasizes the importance of blending automated pentesting with human expertise and offers practical strategies for learning about AI security. Tune in for crucial tips on navigating this evolving landscape!
Securing Generative AI applications is complex due to their non-deterministic nature and continuous updates, requiring ongoing testing rather than periodic assessments.
The evolving attack surfaces for GenAI, such as multimodality and programmatic agents, introduce significant exploitation risks, including social engineering attacks and indirect prompt injections.
Deep dives
Unique Challenges in Securing Gen AI Applications
Securing Generative AI applications presents unique challenges compared to traditional web or API testing. The non-deterministic nature of AI means that penetration testing requires multiple attempts across different message segments, as context length can vary significantly. Additionally, continuous updates from LLM vendors complicate the process since major version changes are often unannounced, necessitating ongoing testing instead of the periodic assessments common in traditional applications. The embedded logic within AI models presents another challenge, as sensitive business data is integrated within the model itself, making it difficult to implement role-based access controls or isolate confidential information effectively.
Emerging Attack Surfaces and Risks
The attack surface for Gen AI applications is expanding, driven by features like multimodality and programmatic agents. Multimodality complicates security because the same information delivered through different formats—such as text versus images—can yield varying responses from the AI, creating opportunities for exploitation. Furthermore, programmatic agents that have backend access to execute code present significant risks, as attackers can manipulate libraries and perform indirect prompt injections for web scraping. One of the key concerns highlighted is the potential for social engineering attacks, where conversational AI interfaces can be exploited to extract sensitive user information or manipulate users into making mistakes.
Common Mistakes in Implementing AI Security
Organizations frequently make critical mistakes when trying to secure AI applications, often due to misunderstandings of the technology and its unique security needs. A notable issue arises when companies configure their content filters too aggressively, leading to excessive false positives that frustrate users and cause them to abandon the service. Additionally, firms often overlook the importance of involving AI development teams in security discussions, sticking instead to traditional application security tactics that may not be applicable. The experience shows that an effective security approach requires continuous collaboration between offensive and defensive teams, along with a nuanced understanding of the rapidly changing landscape of AI technologies.