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Gmail Security Threat Confirmed—Google Won’t Fix It, Here’s Why

Jan 02, 2025 - forbes.com
The article discusses a security issue related to Google's Gemini AI, which is integrated into Gmail and other Workspace products. Security researchers identified vulnerabilities in Gemini AI that make it susceptible to indirect prompt injection attacks. These attacks allow third parties to manipulate the AI by embedding prompts in less obvious channels like documents and emails, potentially leading to phishing attempts and data manipulation across platforms such as Gmail, Google Slides, and Google Drive. Despite these findings, Google has decided not to classify this as a security issue, marking it as "Won’t Fix (Intended Behavior)."

Google's response emphasizes that such vulnerabilities are common across large language models (LLMs) in the industry. The company claims to have implemented strong defenses against these attacks, including internal and external security testing, red-teaming exercises, and a Vulnerability Rewards Program for AI bug reports. Google also highlights the presence of robust spam filters and input sanitization in Gmail and Drive to mitigate risks. The article suggests that while Google acknowledges the potential for these attacks, it believes its current defenses are sufficient to protect users.

Key takeaways:

  • Google's Gemini AI is vulnerable to indirect prompt injection attacks, which can be exploited across platforms like Gmail, Google Slides, and Google Drive.
  • These vulnerabilities allow third-parties to manipulate the AI to produce misleading or unintended responses, posing potential security risks.
  • Google has decided not to fix these issues, labeling them as "Won’t Fix (Intended Behavior)" due to their consistency across the industry and existing defenses.
  • Google employs strong defenses, including red-teaming exercises and spam filters, to mitigate the risks associated with these vulnerabilities.
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