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ChatGPT flaw lets attackers pull Gmail data across accounts via a hidden channel

CSO Online ()4 min read2 · 1 read
AI summary · glm-5.3-flashSummaries by Vani AI

Check Point found a ChatGPT flaw letting attackers read victims' Gmail and connected-app data via hidden cross-session instructions; OpenAI patched it.

Check Point Research discovered a covert cross-account command channel in ChatGPT's code execution environment, where containers meant to be isolated shared metadata through an internal service based on JFrog Artifactory. In a proof of concept, a victim's session was tricked into retrieving Gmail email data and relaying it to an attacker-controlled session during an ordinary-looking interaction, with reach extending to any connected apps the session was authorized for, including Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and GitHub. OpenAI fixed the issue and decommissioned the internal service; the same shared infrastructure was also involved in the separately disclosed Hugging Face compromise, though via different techniques.

Key facts
  • Containers shared metadata via an internal Artifactory service, creating a covert cross-account channel.
  • Hidden tasks ran alongside visible chats; only trace was a post-hoc 'Talked to Gmail' label.
  • Attack scope covered any connected apps the session could access, including Drive, Teams, and GitHub.
  • OpenAI decommissioned the internal service, which was also tied to the Hugging Face compromise.
  • Experts advise narrow app grants, DLP/CASB inspection, and SIEM logging of connected-app reads.
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From the original article

4 min read at csoonline.com

A flaw in OpenAI’s ChatGPT allowed attackers to extract data from a victim’s connected Gmail account by passing hidden instructions between separate user sessions, according to research from Check Point. In a proof-of-concept, Check Point demonstrated that a victim’s ChatGPT session could retrieve email data and relay it to an attacker-controlled session within a single, seemingly normal interaction.

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