Hosts: Miriah Peterson, Matt Sharp, Chris Brousseau
Recorded: April 2026
Status: Released

Most AI systems today are designed to be helpful — not secure.

In this episode, we break down how AI systems actually get exploited in production:

• a real supply chain attack on a widely used AI dependency
• prompt injection and why it still works
• image-based (multimodal) exploits
• tool and agent abuse

If you’re building AI — especially at a startup — you are the security team.

A widely used AI dependency was compromised via a malicious .pth file:

• executes automatically when Python starts
• no import required
• targets credentials, SSH keys, and environment variables

👉 Just installing the package was enough.

This highlights a critical reality:

Your AI system is only as secure as your dependencies.

• Models cannot distinguish between instructions and data
• External content can override system behavior
• Still one of the most common AI vulnerabilities

🔗 https://learnprompting.org/docs/prompt_hacking/injection

• Hidden instructions embedded in images
• AI interprets images differently than humans
• Expands the attack surface significantly

🔗 https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.11698

• AI systems can take real-world actions via tools
• Prompt injection → API calls, data leaks, unintended execution
• Agents amplify risk through autonomy and retries

If you’re building AI systems today:

• separate instructions from data
• limit tool permissions
• treat outputs as untrusted
• validate everything before execution

• AI systems have an internet-sized attack surface
• Supply chain attacks bypass all AI safeguards
• Prompt injection is a fundamental problem
• AI doesn’t fail safely — it fails wherever your system is weakest

• LiteLLM incident: https://github.com/BerriAI/litellm/issues/24512
• Attack breakdown: https://futuresearch.ai/blog/litellm-pypi-supply-chain-attack/
• LLM attack techniques: https://llm-attacks.org/
• OWASP LLM Top 10: https://owasp.org/www-project-top-10-for-large-language-model-applications/
• Gandalf challenge: https://gandalf.lakera.ai/

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Get:

• early access to episodes
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• bloopers and uncut moments

👉 https://patreon.com/DomesticatingAIPodcast

• 🎥 YouTube: https://youtu.be/HTTxE7Y1sko

What’s the weirdest way an AI system has broken for you?

Keep your AI on a leash.