Introduction

Prompt injection is a common security vulnerability where an attacker manipulates input to a software system to alter the intended behavior. In the context of AI and natural language processing (NLP) models like LLMs (large language models), prompt injection can lead to unintended actions or disclosure of sensitive information. This article aims to help developers understand prompt injection, recognize its common pitfalls, and implement effective mitigation strategies.

Understanding Prompt Injection

Prompt injection occurs when an attacker alters the input provided to a system to deceive the system into performing actions it was not designed to do. In the case of AI models, this could mean the model generating inappropriate or harmful content, leaking sensitive information, or performing unintended actions.

Common Scenarios and Examples

Consider the following example where a user query is processed by an AI model to generate a response.…