Silent ChatGPT Attack Puts Millions of Businesses at Risk

Enterprises are rapidly adopting powerful AI tools like ChatGPT’s Deep Research agent to streamline operations by analyzing everything from emails to internal reports. While these platforms boost efficiency, they also open the door to new and sophisticated security threats, especially when handling sensitive corporate data.

Recently, cybersecurity firm Radware uncovered a critical zero-click flaw in ChatGPT, which they have named “ShadowLeak.” This vulnerability represents a new frontier in cyber threats, allowing attackers to steal sensitive data without any user interaction whatsoever.

Understanding the ShadowLeak Vulnerability

ShadowLeak is a server-side flaw within ChatGPT's Deep Research agent. Unlike traditional attacks that rely on a user clicking a bad link or opening a malicious file, this exploit is completely invisible to the victim. It bypasses conventional endpoint security measures entirely because the attack happens on OpenAI's servers, not on a user's device.

The flaw allows attackers to covertly exfiltrate sensitive data, posing a significant risk to the millions of businesses that rely on ChatGPT for daily operations. Researchers demonstrated that an attacker could trigger the data leak simply by sending an email containing hidden instructions, which the AI agent would then process autonomously.

A New Breed of Cyber Threat

This vulnerability is particularly alarming because it is the first of its kind—a purely server-side, zero-click data exfiltration attack. It leaves almost no trace from a business's perspective, making it incredibly difficult for security teams to detect.

David Aviv, Chief Technology Officer at Radware, described it as “the quintessential zero-click attack.” He emphasized, “There is no user action required, no visible cue, and no way for victims to know their data has been compromised. Everything happens entirely behind the scenes through autonomous agent actions on OpenAI cloud servers.”

Pascal Geenens, Radware's Director of Cyber Threat Intelligence, warned that organizations can't solely depend on the built-in safeguards of AI platforms. “AI-driven workflows can be manipulated in ways not yet anticipated, and these attack vectors often bypass the visibility and detection capabilities of traditional security solutions,” he explained.

Protecting Your Business from AI Threats

With over five million paying business users on ChatGPT, the potential exposure from ShadowLeak is massive. It underscores the critical need for human oversight and rigorous security protocols when connecting autonomous AI to sensitive data. Organizations must adopt a cautious and proactive approach to AI security. Here are key steps to stay safe:

• Implement layered cybersecurity defenses to protect against various attack types.
• Continuously monitor AI-driven workflows to spot unusual activity or data leaks early.
• Deploy the best antivirus solutions across all systems to guard against known malware.
• Maintain robust ransomware protection to safeguard data from lateral threats.
• Enforce strict access controls and user permissions for any AI tools that handle sensitive information.
• Ensure human oversight is in place whenever autonomous AI agents process critical data.
• Keep detailed logs and audit trails of AI agent activity to identify anomalies.
• Educate employees about the unique threats associated with AI and autonomous agent workflows.