LLM01
Prompt Injection Illustration

BONUS TECH DECODER

Prompt: The text input given to an AI system that tells it what to do or respond to.
Injection Attack: Inserting sneaky commands into normal questions to trick an AI - like whispering "ignore your rules" in the middle of asking for directions.
System Instructions: The rule book given to an AI that tells it what it can and can't do - like a robot's instruction manual that it must follow.

🧠 WHAT IS IT?

Prompt Injection happens when an attacker adds malicious instructions to an AI system's input to override its intended behavior. It's like someone whispering new orders to a restaurant waiter after you've already placed your order, causing them to bring something completely different than what you asked for.

🔍 HOW IT HAPPENS

  • An attacker crafts special text that overrides the AI's original instructions
  • The AI prioritizes the injected instructions over its built-in safeguards
  • The system executes the attacker's commands instead of the intended behavior
  • The user receives unexpected or potentially harmful output

🚨 WHY IT MATTERS

Confidentiality C
Integrity I
Prompt injection can completely bypass an AI system's security controls, potentially exposing sensitive information, generating harmful content, or performing actions contrary to the system's intended purpose and user expectations.

🛡️ HOW TO PREVENT IT

  • Implement strict input validation and filtering mechanisms
  • Use separate prompts for system instructions and user inputs
  • Apply contextual protections that identify and block attempts to override instructions
  • Regularly test AI systems with red-team exercises to identify vulnerabilities
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