Security flaw in AI agents: dangerous link previews

AI agents, capable of automating tasks such as shopping or programming, can be tricked via malicious prompts inserted into chats. These prompts can force the agent to generate a URL containing sensitive data. The problem lies in the link previews: if a messaging application automatically generates a preview of the malicious link, the data is exposed without user interaction.

This type of attack, called "zero-click prompt injection", exploits the AI agent's ability to process and respond to prompts received via chat. The vulnerability manifests when the agent, in an attempt to provide a link preview, accesses external resources controlled by the attacker, revealing potentially confidential information. The threat is amplified by the spread of AI agents integrated into messaging platforms.

For those evaluating on-premise deployments, there are trade-offs to consider in terms of security and data control. AI-RADAR offers analytical frameworks on /llm-onpremise to evaluate these aspects.