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Showing posts with label Gemini vulnerability. Show all posts

Google Gemini Calendar Flaw Allows Meeting Invites to Leak Private Data

 

Though built to make life easier, artificial intelligence helpers sometimes carry hidden risks. A recent study reveals that everyday features - such as scheduling meetings - can become pathways for privacy breaches. Instead of protecting data, certain functions may unknowingly expose it. Experts from Miggo Security identified a flaw in Google Gemini’s connection to Google Calendar. Their findings show how an ordinary invite might secretly gather private details. What looks innocent on the surface could serve another purpose beneath. 

A fresh look at Gemini shows it helps people by understanding everyday speech and pulling details from tools like calendars. Because the system responds to words instead of rigid programming rules, security experts from Miggo discovered a gap in its design. Using just text that seems normal, hackers might steer the AI off course. These insights, delivered openly to Hackread.com, reveal subtle risks hidden in seemingly harmless interactions. 

A single calendar entry is enough to trigger the exploit - no clicking, no downloads, no obvious red flags. Hidden inside what looks like normal event details sits coded directions meant for machines, not people. Rather than arriving through email attachments or shady websites, the payload comes disguised as routine scheduling data. The wording blends in visually, yet when processed by Gemini, it shifts into operational mode. Instructions buried in plain sight tell the system to act without signaling intent to the recipient. 

A single harmful invitation sits quietly once added to the calendar. Only after the user poses a routine inquiry - like asking about free time on Saturday - is anything set in motion. When Gemini checks the agenda, it reads the tainted event along with everything else. Within that entry lies a concealed instruction: gather sensitive calendar data and compile a report. Using built-in features of Google Calendar, the system generates a fresh event containing those extracted details. 

Without any sign, personal timing information ends up embedded within a new appointment. What makes the threat hard to spot is its invisible nature. Though responses appear normal, hidden processes run without alerting the person using the system. Instead of bugs in software, experts point to how artificial intelligence understands words as the real weak point. The concern grows as behavior - rather than broken code - becomes the source of danger. Not seeing anything wrong does not mean everything is fine. 

Back in December 2025, problems weren’t new for Google’s AI tools when it came to handling sneaky language tricks. A team at Noma Security found a gap called GeminiJack around that time. Hidden directions inside files and messages could trigger leaks of company secrets through the system. Experts pointed out flaws deep within how these smart tools interpret context across linked platforms. The design itself seemed to play a role in the vulnerability. Following the discovery by Miggo Security, Google fixed the reported flaw. 

Still, specialists note similar dangers remain possible. Most current protection systems look for suspicious code or URLs - rarely do they catch damaging word patterns hidden within regular messages. When AI helpers get built into daily software and given freedom to respond independently, some fear misuse may grow. Unexpected uses of helpful features could lead to serious consequences, researchers say.

AI’s Hidden Weak Spot: How Hackers Are Turning Smart Assistants into Secret Spies

 

As artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday life, cybercriminals are already exploiting its vulnerabilities. One major threat shaking up the tech world is the prompt injection attack — a method where hidden commands override an AI’s normal behavior, turning helpful chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude into silent partners in crime.

A prompt injection occurs when hackers embed secret instructions inside what looks like an ordinary input. The AI can’t tell the difference between developer-given rules and user input, so it processes everything as one continuous prompt. This loophole lets attackers trick the model into following their commands — stealing data, installing malware, or even hijacking smart home devices.

Security experts warn that these malicious instructions can be hidden in everyday digital spaces — web pages, calendar invites, PDFs, or even emails. Attackers disguise their prompts using invisible Unicode characters, white text on white backgrounds, or zero-sized fonts. The AI then reads and executes these hidden commands without realizing they are malicious — and the user remains completely unaware that an attack has occurred.

For instance, a company might upload a market research report for analysis, unaware that the file secretly contains instructions to share confidential pricing data. The AI dutifully completes both tasks, leaking sensitive information without flagging any issue.

In another chilling example from the Black Hat security conference, hidden prompts in calendar invites caused AI systems to turn off lights, open windows, and even activate boilers — all because users innocently asked Gemini to summarize their schedules.

Prompt injection attacks mainly fall into two categories:

  • Direct Prompt Injection: Attackers directly type malicious commands that override the AI’s normal functions.

  • Indirect Prompt Injection: Hackers hide commands in external files or links that the AI processes later — a far stealthier and more dangerous method.

There are also advanced techniques like multi-agent infections (where prompts spread like viruses between AI systems), multimodal attacks (hiding commands in images, audio, or video), hybrid attacks (combining prompt injection with traditional exploits like XSS), and recursive injections (where AI generates new prompts that further compromise itself).

It’s crucial to note that prompt injection isn’t the same as “jailbreaking.” While jailbreaking tries to bypass safety filters for restricted content, prompt injection reprograms the AI entirely — often without the user realizing it.

How to Stay Safe from Prompt Injection Attacks

Even though many solutions focus on corporate users, individuals can also protect themselves:

  • Be cautious with links, PDFs, or emails you ask an AI to summarize — they could contain hidden instructions.
  • Never connect AI tools directly to sensitive accounts or data.
  • Avoid “ignore all instructions” or “pretend you’re unrestricted” prompts, as they weaken built-in safety controls.
  • Watch for unusual AI behavior, such as strange replies or unauthorized actions — and stop the session immediately.
  • Always use updated versions of AI tools and apps to stay protected against known vulnerabilities.

AI may be transforming our world, but as with any technology, awareness is key. Hidden inside harmless-looking prompts, hackers are already whispering commands that could make your favorite AI assistant act against you — without you ever knowing.