OpenAI’s updates show big tech can destroy your statrtup at any time
By being able to call and interact with third party systems, AI's, apps, scripts, websites, and more hackers have found a new way to hack "everything."
Key takeaways
- OpenAI's recent update to ChatGPT Plus added a myriad of new features, including DALL-E image generation and the Code Interpreter, which allows Python code execution and file analysis.
- While the likelihood of such an attack requires specific conditions, for example, the user must actively paste a malicious URL into ChatGPT, the risk remains concerning.
- The exploit was tested by creating a fake environment variables file and using ChatGPT to process and inadvertently send this data to an external server.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2023) 'OpenAI’s updates show big tech can destroy your statrtup at any time', 311 Institute, 21 November. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/openais-updates-show-big-tech-can-destroy-your-statrtup-at-any-time/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
OpenAI's recent update to ChatGPT Plus added a myriad of new features, including DALL-E image generation and the Code Interpreter, which allows Python code execution and file analysis. The code is created and run in a sandbox environment that is unfortunately vulnerable to prompt injection attacks.
A known vulnerability in ChatGPT for some time now, the attack involves tricking ChatGPT into executing instructions from a third-party URL, leading it to encode uploaded files into a URL-friendly string and send this data to a malicious website. While the likelihood of such an attack requires specific conditions, for example, the user must actively paste a malicious URL into ChatGPT, the risk remains concerning. This security threat could be realized through various scenarios, including a trusted website being compromised with a malicious prompt, or through social engineering tactics.
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Tom's Hardware did some impressive work testing just how vulnerable users may be to this attack. The exploit was tested by creating a fake environment variables file and using ChatGPT to process and inadvertently send this data to an external server.
Although the exploit's effectiveness varied across sessions, E.G.: ChatGPT sometimes refused to load external pages or transmit file data, it raises significant security concerns, especially given the AI's ability to read and execute Linux commands and handle user-uploaded files in a Linux-based virtual environment.
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👉 Good opportunity to raise awareness around prompt injection and data exfilration issues. I’m lazy, paste in this URL in your ChatGPT and send it to me. 🙂#chatgpt #infosec https://t.co/SogGZh8cji pic.twitter.com/Dh95xIK4qy
Johann Rehberger (@wunderwuzzi23) November 10, 2023
As Tom's Hardware states in its findings, despite seeming unlikely, the existence of this security loophole is significant. ChatGPT should ideally not execute instructions from external web pages, yet it does.
What this means for your organisation
Every new capability is a new attack path.
Letting an assistant run code and fetch web pages also lets attackers send it instructions. The more an AI can do, the more a hijack can achieve. Security teams should review what each AI tool is allowed to access.
Staff behaviour is the weak point.
The attack needs a user to paste a malicious link or visit a compromised site. Social engineering makes that easy. Train staff never to feed untrusted links or sensitive files to AI tools.
Platform shifts can upend startups.
Each update from a major AI provider adds features that small firms once sold. Building on someone else's platform carries strategic as well as security risk. Founders and buyers should plan for features being absorbed.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Which AI tools can reach our files and the open web?
- Have we trained staff on the risks of untrusted links in AI tools?
- How exposed is our product to features added by AI platforms?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
By being able to call and interact with third party systems, AI's, apps, scripts, websites, and more hackers have found a new way to hack "everything."
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- View on X → twitter.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 21 November 2023. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2023). OpenAI’s updates show big tech can destroy your statrtup at any time. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/openais-updates-show-big-tech-can-destroy-your-statrtup-at-any-time/
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