Cybersecurity Today: AI Shadow Leak Avoids Detection

Host: Jim Love
Date: September 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Cybersecurity Today focuses on an emerging AI-driven vulnerability dubbed "Shadow Leak," which exploits ChatGPT servers in a stealthy, zero-click fashion. Jim Love also covers a massive SIM farm bust in New York, a widespread Cisco zero-day vulnerability, a warning from the FBI regarding spoofed crime reporting websites, and advice for enabling advanced protection on Android devices. The episode emphasizes practical steps for business and personal cybersecurity in light of recent threats.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

[00:15] Shadow Leak Zero-Click Vulnerability in ChatGPT Agents

• Discovery & Nature of the Threat:
  • Security researchers at Radware discovered "Shadow Leak," a server-side vulnerability in ChatGPT's deep research agent.
  • The exploit is a true zero-click attack: "Attackers don't need you to click on anything. All it takes is an email with hidden instructions and the AI agent can be tricked into following them." (Jim Love, 01:00)
  • Because the vulnerability executes on OpenAI servers, it evades endpoint protections, leaves no malware on user devices, and rarely leaves observable traces.
• Hidden & Potent Danger:
  • Radware's CTO David Aviv underscores: "It's the quintessential zero click attack. That makes detection very difficult, even for well protected organizations." (Jim Love quoting Aviv, 01:40)
  • The exploit bypasses typical logging and monitoring tools since malicious commands run inside the AI's processing pipeline.
• Widespread Risk:
  • With millions of companies integrating ChatGPT into workflows—often handling sensitive data—the risk is extensive.
  • Successful exploitation lets attackers silently collect data or alter AI responses.
• Actionable Advice:
  • "Don't rely on the AI provider alone. Use layered security controls, keep human oversight in the loop for critical tasks, and lock down access wherever you can..." (Jim Love, 03:20)
  • Organizations are advised to re-examine which data is sent to cloud-based AI services, especially in the evolving AI security landscape.

[03:50] Large-Scale SIM Farm Busted in New York

• Discovery:
  • U.S. Secret Service dismantled a SIM farm operating near the United Nations, seizing 300+ SIM servers connected to over 100,000 SIM cards.
• Threat Scope & Intent:
  • These SIM farms—racks of SIM cards tied to VoIP gateways—facilitate mass fraud, spoofing, encrypted comms, and potentially network outages.
  • The proximity to the UN raises concerns about potential espionage or targeted disruption: "Analysts say it could even have been used for espionage or surveillance, intercepting or manipulating signals with proximity to high value targets." (Jim Love, 05:05)
• Detection Complexity:
  • SIM farms blend with regular network traffic, complicating detection.
• Recommended Countermeasures:
  • Researchers are exploring anomaly detection, such as latency analysis in cellular signaling.
  • Emphasis on the scale of risk: "Even a small telecom infrastructure misused at scale can turn into a national or... international security threat." (Jim Love, 06:02)

[06:10] Cisco Zero-Day Vulnerability (CVE-2025-2352) Impacts Millions

• Vulnerability Details:
  • A new actively exploited zero-day in Cisco devices (iOS and iOS XE) stems from flaws in SNMP, enabling denial of service or remote code execution by even low-privilege users.
  • "Because the exploit abuses SNMP, a standard tool in almost every network, it can slip past many traditional security barriers." (Jim Love, 06:30)
  • Up to 2 million devices at risk, especially if SNMP is exposed to the internet.
• Urgent Recommendations:
  • Cisco urges immediate patching, disabling of unused SNMP, and log monitoring.
  • CISA has listed the flaw in their Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog for mandatory federal action.

[07:20] FBI Warns of Spoofed IC3 Crime Reporting Websites

• Nature of the Scam:
  • Attackers have created near-perfect replicas of the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) portal.
  • Victims unwittingly disclose personal and financial information, which is then harvested for fraud.
  • "These fake portals mimic the FBI site so convincingly that victims believe they are filing a crime report when in fact their personal and financial details are being stolen." (Jim Love, 07:25)
• Persistence & Takedown Challenges:
  • Sites are hosted on bulletproof servers and quickly rotated, making shutdown and attribution difficult.
• Clear Guidance:
  • "There is only one legitimate IC3 portal: ic3.gov. People should always type that address directly into their browser, never click on links—even in emails that appear official." (Jim Love, 08:02)

[08:25] Enable Advanced Protection on Android Devices

• Feature Overview:
  • Android now has an advanced protection mode similar to Apple’s lockdown, but it must be switched on manually.
  • "You find it in your security settings, and right now I know it's available on Pixel phones, which are always first in line for Android upgrades." (Jim Love, 08:35)
• Practical Importance:
  • Hardens phones against malicious apps and sophisticated exploits.
  • Encouragement to check for availability on non-Pixel brands and to enable the feature given the rise in mobile threats.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Zero-Click Weaponization:
  "It's the quintessential zero click attack. That makes detection very difficult, even for well protected organizations."
  — Jim Love quoting David Aviv, [01:40]

• On AI Security Caution:
  "Really take a good think of which data you submit to an AI agent in the cloud to process."
  — Jim Love, [03:30]

• SIM Farm as Espionage Vector:
  "It could even have been used for espionage or surveillance, intercepting or manipulating signals with proximity to high value targets."
  — Jim Love, [05:05]

• On Spoofed Reporting Sites:
  "These fake portals mimic the FBI site so convincingly that victims believe they are filing a crime report when in fact their personal and financial details are being stolen."
  — Jim Love, [07:25]

Actionable Takeaways

• For AI Users:
  Re-examine data flows to cloud AIs. Do not assume provider-side security is sufficient.
• For IT/Network Admins:
  Patch Cisco devices immediately; audit SNMP configurations.
• For Telecom Providers:
  Refine anomaly detection methods for SIM farm activity.
• For All Users:
  Double-check URLs when reporting crimes online. Enable Advanced Protection on Android if available.

This concise but comprehensive roundup delivers current threats and practical countermeasures, making it essential listening for business leaders and IT guardians facing evolving digital risks.