Ethical Hacking News
OpenAI Atlas's agentic browsing feature can be tricked by attackers who craft URLs that embed malicious instructions, posing a significant threat to browser security and user safety. Experts warn that a lack of strict boundaries between trusted user input and untrusted content allows for prompt injection attacks.
Crafted URLs can trick OpenAI Atlas into running dangerous commands, posing a significant threat to browser security and user safety. The vulnerability is attributed to the lack of strict boundaries between trusted user input and untrusted content in agentic browsers like OpenAI Atlas. Attackers can craft URLs that embed malicious instructions, which are then executed by the browser with elevated trust. The discovery highlights the importance of robust browser security measures and user awareness.
Crafted URLs can trick OpenAI Atlas into running dangerous commands, posing a significant threat to browser security and user safety. This vulnerability was recently discovered by NeuralTrust researchers, who warn that the agentic browsing feature of OpenAI Atlas is vulnerable to prompt injection attacks.
The OpenAI Atlas browser is designed to provide users with enhanced productivity and interactive web experiences through its built-in ChatGPT capabilities. However, this power comes with a price: the browser's ability to interpret user input as both URLs and natural-language commands creates a significant security risk. Attackers can craft URLs that embed malicious instructions, which are then executed by the browser with elevated trust.
The researchers identified a specific prompt injection technique that disguises malicious instructions as URLs in the omnibox. This allows attackers to override user intent and safety checks, potentially leading to a range of malicious actions, including phishing attacks and data breaches. In one example, users who paste a crafted URL-like string into the omnibox are tricked into visiting an attacker-controlled phishing site.
The vulnerability is attributed to the lack of strict boundaries between trusted user input and untrusted content in agentic browsers like OpenAI Atlas. The researchers emphasize that this failure mode can be exploited by attackers to turn ordinary-looking inputs into "jailbreaks" that bypass safety checks and execute harmful actions.
To mitigate this risk, experts recommend that browsers implement stricter URL validation and prevent auto-switching to prompt mode. Users should also be made aware of the potential threats and take steps to protect themselves, such as manually choosing between navigation and asking the agent for instructions.
In conclusion, the discovery of this vulnerability highlights the importance of robust browser security measures and user awareness. As agentic browsing technology continues to evolve, it is essential that developers prioritize the safety and trustworthiness of their products.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Crafted-URLs-Can-Deceive-OpenAI-Atlas-A-Threat-to-Browser-Security-ehn.shtml
https://securityaffairs.com/183900/hacking/crafted-urls-can-trick-openai-atlas-into-running-dangerous-commands.html
Published: Mon Oct 27 10:51:23 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
