OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications Newsletter - October '24 : Sp. Ed. #1

Please vote for T10 v2 !!

Author

Krishna Sankar
October 08, 2024

Greetings Gen AI Security Enthusiasts & OWASP Community Members!

Generative Insights : Reflections from the Editorial Desk

  • This month’s focus : OWASP T10 V2 Voting !!

  • One focus, two sp. ed. newsletters ! One now, and another to announce the winners!

I have the voting link below.

Step 1: Start by checking out the highlights (below) for a quick snapshot of the ever evolving LLM Security-land,

Step 2: Dive deeper into the profiles of our 12 amazing candidates, and finally

Step 3: Cast your vote for your Top 10 favorites!

You don’t have to be limited to one candidate, you can choose 10 ! Ain't that something ?

And to kick things off, here’s my favorite voting image, straight from the world of Dr. Seuss! And a trivia about an interesting movie …

Trivia : Did you know that the iconic Geisel Library at UCSD is named after Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel ? Inside, you’ll find all kinds of whimsical Dr. Seuss memorabilia.

Plus, movie buffs might recognize it as the inspiration for the Snow Fortress scene in Inception!

Our son did his Masters there - which gave us the perfect excuse to visit the campus often. San Diego, with UCSD’s unique charm, and Legoland, quickly became a favorite destination for us!

🔟 OWASP Top 10 LLM 2.0 : Highlights ! 2️⃣

Steve had sent out an informal comparison - very insightful, so insightful that it has to be generated by AI - may be not, you be the judge …

  • Supply Chain and Integration Risks: The increasing complexity of LLM deployments is driving a deeper focus on supply chain vulnerabilities, particularly as models become more interconnected with external systems, APIs, and plugins. The 2024 list underscores the need for strict vetting of data sources, model suppliers, and plugin security. "Insecure Plugin Design" and "Supply Chain Vulnerabilities" are both reemphasized with more guidance on how to manage third-party risks.

  • Emerging Threats in Real-Time Data: The addition of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) marks a significant shift in how OWASP views LLMs. RAG systems enhance LLM capabilities but introduce major risks by retrieving dynamic data from external sources, which might not always be secure or trustworthy. This reflects the trend of LLMs evolving from standalone tools into more integrated, real-time systems, where the risk of compromise expands beyond the model itself to the data sources it accesses.

  • Increasing Complexity of Attacks: The 2024 list highlights a broader range of sophisticated attacks that exploit multiple components in the LLM ecosystem. From prompt injection attacks that target LLM-integrated systems, to backdoor attacks embedding malicious code during the model’s lifecycle, the landscape is becoming more intricate, requiring layered defenses across both model training and deployment.

Conclusion:

  • The 2024 OWASP Top 10 for LLMs expands on the security challenges introduced in 2023, reflecting the rapidly evolving ecosystem of LLM applications.

  • Key new entries like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Backdoor Attacks, and System Prompt Leakage point to the increasing complexity of LLM deployments and the broader attack surface they present.

  • Meanwhile, enduring vulnerabilities like Prompt Injection and Improper Output Handling are updated with more advanced mitigation strategies, reflecting the growing sophistication of attack vectors.

  • Developers and security teams will need to adopt a more comprehensive, multi-layered approach to protect LLM applications, considering both the model and its surrounding infrastructure. 

  • The Candidates are nicely in one pdf [Here]

🗳️Voting Booth & Timeline ⏳

  • Voting Booth : [Here]

  • Voting closes on October 15th ! Don’t miss your chance to shape the roadmap for secure LLM applications in 2024!

🔗 OWASP LLM Documents & Links 🔗

  • Previous newsletters (to catchup after marveling our eloquence 🙃) [Here]

  • OWASP Top 10 LLM main site [Here]

  • OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications v1.1 [Here]

  • LLM AI Security & Governance Checklist v1.1 [Here]

📱Stay Connected📱

Aubrey King has expanded our social media reach across various platforms including LinkedIn, Youtube, Twitter (Agree with Will, not going to say X), and soon even more! Follow and don’t be shy to re-share any content we post! BTW, if you're presenting anything related to our project externally, do let us know at [email protected] so we can review and blast out to our social media followers!

💭 Closing Thoughts 💭

OWASP Top 10 LLM - V2 voting is upon us. The world of LLMs have changed since the v1. Please vote for your favorite candidates …

We look forward to seeing you in our Slack channels and at our upcoming meetings!

Till next time … Stay Secure & Stay Sharp …

Krishna Sankar
LinkedIn | Medium | Github