OpenAI has launched a new security feature in ChatGPT called Lockdown Mode, designed to provide additional protection against so-called “prompt injection attacks.”
A prompt injection attack is when someone crafts a deceptive prompt in an attempt to trick the LLM into following malicious instructions and/or revealing sensitive information.
These deceptive prompts are often hidden within web pages and other data sources, which are easily missed by humans but still read and processed by LLMs. Prompt injection attacks have been used to do all sorts of things, like hijacking Perplexity’s AI browser, controlling smart home devices via Google Gemini, and stealing personal information via compressed images and Google Calendar.
First announced back in February, Lockdown Mode will now restrict and/or disable several ChatGPT features when enabled, including live web browsing (in favor of cached content), the retrieval and display of web-based images, Deep Research, and Agent Mode.
OpenAI emphasizes that this feature can’t completely eliminate the risk of prompt injection attacks, as malicious instructions could always be present in uploaded files or cached content.
As of this writing, Lockdown Mode is rolling out to all ChatGPT account types, including Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. If you aren’t seeing Lockdown Mode in your settings, it may not have rolled out to you yet and you’ll have to wait a bit longer for it.
