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What is Prompt Injection?

Ethics & Safety Glossary term: Prompt Injection
Short Answer

Security vulnerability where malicious input overrides intended prompt instructions.

Prompt injection is a security vulnerability where attackers provide malicious input that overrides or bypasses the intended system instructions. This can lead to unauthorized access, data leakage, or other security breaches.

Attack vectors include:

  • Instruction override: Bypassing intended instructions
  • Role manipulation: Changing the AI's intended role
  • Context poisoning: Corrupting the AI's understanding
  • Security bypass: Circumventing safety measures
  • Data extraction: Attempting to access sensitive information

Best Practices

  • Implement input validation and sanitization
  • Use robust system prompts with clear boundaries
  • Monitor for suspicious input patterns
  • Implement rate limiting and access controls
  • Regular security testing and updates

🎯 Use Cases

  • Security research
  • AI safety testing
  • Vulnerability assessment
  • Defense development
  • Security training