ChatGPT Plugins Pose Security Risks: Researchers
- Written by Shipra Sanganeria Cybersecurity & Tech Writer
- Fact-Checked by
API security enterprise Salt Security identified three types of flaws within ChatGPT plugins , according to its advisory published on March 13. The flawed plugins help ChatGPT interact with third-party platforms like GitHub, Salesforce, and Google Drive. They also help to intercept up-to-date information.
The first flaw was found within the plugin installation process, which allows hackers to trick potential victims into installing malicious plugins. Once installed, the hacker can easily exploit the plugin to intercept private chat messages, including credentials and other sensitive data.
The second flaw was found within plugins developed by PluginLab, a framework used to develop various ChatGPT plugins. The researchers used “AskTheCode,” which integrates ChatGPT with a user’s GitHub account. The vulnerability allows zero-click attacks, which basically means that hackers can easily seize accounts without any malicious link or user authentication codes.
The third flaw was related to OAuth redirection manipulation and affected several plugins. Here the researchers used the Charts plugin by Kesem AI. However, to exploit this flaw and successfully seize user accounts, a hacker would need to trick victims into clicking attacker-generated malicious links.
Upon discovery, Salt Security followed procedures and notified OpenAI and third-party vendors to mitigate the potential risks and remediate these flaws.
On top of this discovery, the research team at Offensive AI Institute at Israel’s Ben Gurion University published an advisory about another AI generative tool vulnerability. The researchers found a side channel in non-Google AI chatbots, including Microsoft Copilot.
When exploited, these side channels allow a malicious threat actor to intercept network traffic in real-time and capture private conversations between a user and the AI tool .
Generative AI tools are touted as technologies that significantly improve efficiencies in our daily lives, whether at a personal or enterprise level. Therefore, any vulnerability puts millions of organizations and individuals at risk worldwide.
“As more organizations leverage this type of technology, attackers are too pivoting their efforts, finding ways to exploit these tools and subsequently gain access to sensitive data,” Yaniv Balmas, vice president of research at Salt Security said in a press release.
Elon Musk Abruptly Calls Off Don Lemon’s Partnership With X
- Written by Deep Shikha Content Writer
- Fact-Checked by
Former CNN host Don Lemon’s new talk show, The Don Lemon Show , will no longer be partnered with X (formerly Twitter). Ties were cut just days before its first episode was scheduled to air this Monday. X owner Elon Musk was set to be Lemon’s first guest on the show, but the interview turned tense, and as a result, Musk abruptly canceled X’s partnership with Lemon.
The episode is available through Lemon’s personal X account and on YouTube . The show was also always set to air on these channels, not just X.
Musk was described as occasionally “testy”, as can be seen when Lemon asked questions about impending U.S. presidential elections, hate speech on X, rumors surrounding Musk’s substance use, and his various business ventures.
“My questions were respectful and wide-ranging, covering everything from SpaceX to the presidential election,” Lemon said in a statement he released on X . “We had a good conversation. Clearly, he felt differently.”
“His commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared seems not to include questions of him from people like me,” he added.
“[Lemon’s] approach was basically just ‘CNN, but on social media,’” Musk said on Twitter , “which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying.” He continued that the interview “lacked authenticity.”
“The Don Lemon Show is welcome to publish its content on X, without censorship, as we believe in providing a platform for creators to scale their work and connect with new communities,” the company said in a statement on X .
A spokesperson for Lemon told CNN that payment is still expected. “Don has a deal with X and expects to be paid for it,” the spokesperson said. “If we have to go to court, we will.”
This isn’t the first time Musk has suddenly cut ties with X partners. In November 2023, he told advertisers to stop spending on his platform, and those remarks may have resulted in a $75 million loss in revenue .
This event points to a bigger challenge: while Elon Musk claims X to be a platform where everyone can speak freely, his own opinions are affecting which partnerships the platform deems as worthy. In doing this, the platform is also showing that it will only actively support the “free speech” it wants to.
