MetaGPT through 0.6.4 allows the QaEngineer role to execute arbitrary code because RunCode.run_script() passes shell metacharacters to subprocess.Popen.

**Code execution in metagpt**

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jan 22, 2024 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jan 22, 2024

GHSA-g7ph-8423-pf4j: Code execution in metagpt

LlamaIndex (aka llama_index) through 0.9.35 allows SQL injection via the Text-to-SQL feature in NLSQLTableQueryEngine, SQLTableRetrieverQueryEngine, NLSQLRetriever, RetrieverQueryEngine, and PGVectorSQLQueryEngine. For example, an attacker might be able to delete this year's student records via "Drop the Students table" within English language input.

**SQL injection in llama-index**

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jan 22, 2024 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jan 23, 2024

GHSA-2jxw-4hm4-6w87: SQL injection in llama-index

By Owais Sultan
We are now at the age of advanced AI assistants. This unique software significantly simplifies our everyday tasks,…
This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: Evolution of AI Assistants: Navigating Breakthroughs in Software Development

We are now at the age of advanced AI assistants. This unique software significantly simplifies our everyday tasks, providing us with time to focus on the most important aspects of life.

This article will help you explore the history of AI’s evolution from the first chatbot to smart virtual assistants capable of making their own decisions. We’ll also share information about the future of the AI industry.

****First AI Assistants****

Software developers started working on the first virtual assistants in the late 1960s. These chatbots laid the background for future innovations and industry development.

****ELIZA****

In 1966, Joseph Weizenbaum developed the prototype of a virtual assistant. His chatbot was able to simulate a conversation with a real psychotherapist. Although the AI’s answers often didn’t sound natural, it was the first step toward developing digital companions.

****PARRY****

PARRY is another chatbot constructed in 1972. Unlike ELIZA, this AI was simulating a person who has paranoid schizophrenia. At the same time, it could understand the majority of user’s requests and provide corresponding answers.

****Improved Digital Assistants****

A new stage of AI’s development started with the release of the first personal digital assistants (PDAs). In the 1990s, many companies introduced compact devices such as Palm Pilot and Apple Newton. Although these companions couldn’t recognize the owner’s voice, they provided the possibility to manage information more efficiently.

Together with PDAs, IT experts worked on constructing and improving interactive voice response systems (IVRs). This innovation played a crucial part in the automation of customer service. It finally allowed companies to use computers to interact with their clients.

Software developers used the advantages of both PDA and IVR technologies while working on improved AI assistants. Later, these advanced digital companions became an integral part of all smartphones.

****Siri****

Apple introduced its virtual assistant in 2011. The release of Siri changed the AI industry and opened the age of new impressive developments. Unlike its ancestors, this digital companion could understand and respond to voice commands. Moreover, Siri could be used to write messages, set reminders, and look for helpful information on the Internet.

****Google Now****

After Apple’s invention, Google also launched its own assistant in 2012. Thanks to machine learning technology, Google Now could provide its users with personalized news, traffic reports, and weather forecasts.

****Cortana****

Finally, in 2014, Microsoft released Cortana. This AI assistant wasn’t as popular as Google and Apple’s products, but it could still understand voice commands and execute them.

****Development of Voice Assistants****

The rapid evolution of portable gadgets and smart AI companions inspired companies to develop special voice assistants. Most gadgets, such as speakers and laptops, were designed with them. This innovation significantly contributed to the evolution of artificial intelligence and the popularization of smart homes.

****Amazon Alexa****

Alexa became a virtual assistant developed for Amazon Echo in 2014. This companion could read news, turn on music on the connected devices, and manage smart home appliances.

****Google Assistant****

In 2016, Google replaced Google Now with an improved Google Assistant. This companion was implemented in Google Home smart speakers. This assistant had similar features to Amazon Alexa. At the same time, it could answer different questions, look for recipes, and set timers.

****Modern World of AI Assistants****

The massive popularization of AI assistants began with OpenAI’s GPT-3 release in 2020. The digital companion can generate human-like messages and discuss almost all topics. Additionally, GPT-3 can generate simple lines of code, articles, video plots, etc.

OpenAI has already developed GPT-4, which is even more intelligent than its predecessor. The upgraded AI assistant can also work with images and generate visual content.

The impressive popularity of OpenAI’s product resulted in the rapid development of other digital companions. ChatGPT’s main competitors are Microsoft’s Bing, Google’s Bard, and Baidu’s Ernie. However, dozens of other projects also aim to build powerful AI assistants.

****Bright Future of Digital Companions****

Many businesses use artificial intelligence software development services to implement AI companions in their online products. These assistants can significantly boost user experience by providing services that consider each client’s interests and preferences.

In addition, AI software is often used to develop smart voice-activated systems to deal with customer inquiries. Modern businesses use them as a cost-efficient substitute for traditional call centers.

Considering all the benefits of virtual assistants, the further development of this technology looks promising. It’s expected that 80% of businesses will adopt intelligent automation by 2025. Thus, we should expect to see smarter and more advanced AI companions in the near future. 

****Conclusion****

Virtual assistants evolved from simple chatbots to advanced digital companions. Now, they can provide more natural and useful answers due to the possibility of understanding our emotions and slang, and the development of new technologies and the growing popularity of AI software will undoubtedly lead to the release of even smarter digital companions.

1.  **McAfee’s Mockingbird AI Tool Detects Deepfake Audio**
2.  **12 Best AI-powered Customer Communication Platforms**
3.  **Volkswagen Goes AI, Integrates ChatGPT into its Vehicles**
4.  **AI in Healthcare: ChatGPT Helps Boy Get Diagnosis After Doctors Fail**
5.  **How Collaboration Across Platforms Could Supercharge AI Performance**

Evolution of AI Assistants: Navigating Breakthroughs in Software Development

The OpenAPI and ChatGPT plugin loaders in LlamaHub (aka llama-hub) before 0.0.67 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code because safe_load is not used for YAML.

**Unsafe yaml deserialization in llama-hub**

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jan 21, 2024 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jan 22, 2024

GHSA-297x-2qf3-jrj3: Unsafe yaml deserialization in llama-hub

The OpenAPI loader in Embedchain before 0.1.57 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code, related to the openapi.py yaml.load function argument.

**Code execution in Embedchain**

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jan 21, 2024 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jan 22, 2024

GHSA-rhhj-5436-95vf: Code execution in Embedchain

The JSON loader in Embedchain before 0.1.57 allows a ReDoS (regular expression denial of service) via a long string to json.py.

**ReDoS in Embedchain**

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jan 21, 2024 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jan 22, 2024

GHSA-r67w-f99w-mgxj: ReDoS in Embedchain

Ghost before 5.76.0 allows XSS via a post excerpt in excerpt.js. An XSS payload can be rendered in post summaries.

**Cross-site Scripting in Ghost**

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jan 21, 2024 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jan 22, 2024

GHSA-fh38-9fgr-454w: Cross-site Scripting in Ghost

The vulnerability arises from the way the url parameter is incorporated into the command string without proper validation or sanitization. If the url is constructed from untrusted sources, an attacker could potentially inject malicious commands.

**Code Injection in paddlepaddle**

Critical severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jan 20, 2024 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jan 23, 2024

GHSA-chj7-w3f6-cvfj: Code Injection in paddlepaddle

Plus: Microsoft says attackers accessed employee emails, Walmart fails to stop gift card fraud, “pig butchering” scams fuel violence in Myanmar, and more.

A major coordinated disclosure this week called attention to the importance of prioritizing security in the design of graphics processing units (GPUs). Researchers published details about the “LeftoverLocals” vulnerability in multiple brands and models of mainstream GPUs—including Apple, Qualcomm, and AMD chips—that could be exploited to steal sensitive data, such as responses from AI systems. Meanwhile, new findings from the cryptocurrency tracing firm Chainalysis show how stablecoins that are tied to the value of the US dollar were instrumental in cryptocurrency-based scams and sanctions evasion last year.

The US Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement earlier this month with the data broker X-Mode (now Outlogic) over its sale of location data gathered from phone apps to the US government and other clients. While the action was hailed by some as a historic privacy win, it also illustrates the limitations of the FTC and the US government's data privacy enforcement power and the ways in which many companies can avoid scrutiny and consequences for failing to protect consumers' data.

The US internet provider Comcast Xfinity may gather data about customers' personal lives for personalized ads, including information about their political beliefs, race, and sexual orientation. If you're a customer, we've got advice for opting out—to the extent that's possible. And if you need a good long read for the weekend, we have the story of how a 27-year-old cryptography graduate student systematically debunked the myth that bitcoin transactions are anonymous. The piece is an excerpt from WIRED writer Andy Greenberg's nonfiction thriller _Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency_, out this week in paperback.

And there's more. Each week, we round up the security and privacy news we didn’t break or cover in depth ourselves. Click the headlines to read the full stories, and stay safe out there.

On Friday, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an emergency directive requiring federal agencies to patch two vulnerabilities that are being actively exploited in the popular VPN appliances Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure. CISA's executive assistant director, Eric Goldstein, told reporters that CISA has notified every federal agency that is running a version of the products, amounting to “around” 15 agencies that have applied mitigations. “We are not assessing a significant risk to the federal enterprise, but we know that risk is not zero,” Goldstein said. He added that investigations are ongoing into whether any federal agencies have been compromised in the attackers' mass exploitation spree.

Analysis indicates that multiple actors have been hunting for and exploiting vulnerable Ivanti devices to gain access to organizations' networks around the world. The activity began in December 2023, but it has ramped up in recent days as word of the vulnerabilities and a proof of concept have emerged. Researchers from the security firm Volexity say that at least 1,700 Connect Secure devices have been compromised overall. Both Volexity and Mandiant see evidence that at least some of the exploitation activity is motivated by espionage. CISA's Goldstein said on Friday that the US government has not yet attributed any of the exploitation activity to particular actors, but that “exploitation of these products would be consistent with what we have seen from PRC \[People's Republic of China\] actors like Volt Typhoon in the past.”

Ivanti Connect Secure is a rebrand of the Ivanti product series known as Pulse Secure. Vulnerabilities in that VPN platform were notoriously exploited in a rash of high-profile digital breaches in 2021 carried out by Chinese state-backed hackers.

Microsoft said on Friday that it detected a system intrusion on January 12 that it is attributing to the Russian state-backed actor known as Midnight Blizzard or APT 29 Cozy Bear. The company says it has fully remediated the breach, which began in November 2023 and used “password spraying” attacks to compromise historic system test accounts that, in some cases, then allowed the attacker to infiltrate “a very small percentage of Microsoft corporate email accounts, including members of our senior leadership team and employees in our cybersecurity, legal, and other functions.” With this access, Cozy Bear hackers were then able to exfiltrate “some emails and attached documents.” Microsoft notes that the attackers appeared to be seeking information about Microsoft's investigations into the group itself. “The attack was not the result of a vulnerability in Microsoft products or services,” the company wrote. “To date, there is no evidence that the threat actor had any access to customer environments, production systems, source code, or AI systems. We will notify customers if any action is required.”

Gift card scams in which attackers trick victims into purchasing gift cards for them are a long-standing issue, but new reporting from ProPublica shows how Walmart has been particularly remiss in addressing the problem. For a decade, the retailer has skirted pressure from both regulators and law enforcement to more closely scrutinize gift card sales and money transfers and expand employee training that could save customers from being tricked and exploited by bad actors. ProPublica conducted dozens of interviews and reviewed internal documents, court filings, and public records in its analysis.

“They were concerned about the bucks. That’s all,” Nick Alicea, a former fraud team leader for the US Postal Inspection Service, told ProPublica. Walmart defended its efforts, claiming that it has stopped more than $700 million in suspicious money transfers and refunded $4 million to victims of gift card fraud. “Walmart offers these financial services while working hard to keep our customers safe from third-party fraudsters,” the company said in a statement. “We have a robust anti-fraud program and other controls to help stop scammers and other criminals who may use the financial services we offer to harm our customers.”

As rebel groups in Myanmar violently oppose the country's military government, the human trafficking and abuse fueling pig butchering scams is exacerbating the conflict. The scams have exploded in recent years, carried out not just by bad actors, but by a workforce of forced laborers who have often been kidnapped and are being held against their will. In one case this fall, a collection of rebel groups in Myanmar known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance took control of 100 military outposts in the country's northern Shan state and seized several towns along the border with China, vowing to "eradicate telecom fraud, scam dens and their patrons nationwide, including in areas along the China-Myanmar border.”

The UN estimates that there may be as many as 100,000 people held in scam centers in Cambodia and 120,000 in Myanmar. “I’ve worked in this space for over 20 years and to be honest, we’ve never seen anything like what we’re seeing now in Southeast Asia in terms of the sheer numbers of people,” Rebecca Miller, regional program director for human trafficking at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime told Vox.

In a new investigation, _Consumer Reports_ and The Markup crowdsourced three years of archived Facebook data from 709 users of the social network to assess which data brokers and other organizations are tracking and monitoring them. In analyzing the data, reporters found that a total of 186,892 companies sent data about the 709 individuals to Facebook. On average, each of those users had information sent to Facebook about them by 2,230 companies. The number varied, though. Some users had less than the average while others had more than 7,000 companies tracking them and providing information to the social network.

US Agencies Urged to Patch Ivanti VPNs That Are Actively Being Hacked

A nonprofit study claims that Google is failing to delete location history that reveals users' physical trips to abortion clinics.

Nearly 16 months after Google announced a policy change to remove location data that could reveal users’ physical trips to abortion clinics and other potentially sensitive medical centers, a nonprofit has alleged in a new report that the company is failing to do just that.

The findings, which were immediately disputed by Google, could impact whether Americans feel they can privately search for and access abortion care in several states across the US, should their digital activity be requested by law enforcement as evidence of a crime. In June 2022, the US Supreme Court overruled its 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade, which had, for decades, conferred the public’s constitutional right to choose to have an abortion; many states have now banned the procedure.

In a press release issued by Accountable Tech, which conducted the study, executive director and cofounder Nicole Gill lambasted Google for its alleged failure to keep users safe from the weaponization of their location data.

“Knowing they are complicit in the criminalization of essential care, Google has made promises to improve their privacy policies,” Gill said in a press release. “But proof that they continue to fall short makes it clear that they cannot be trusted to protect the millions of users who rely on their products everyday.”

But in responding to a report from The Guardian, which claimed to have exclusively reviewed Accountable Tech’s research, Google pushed back.

“We are upholding our promise to delete particularly personal places from Location History if these places are identified by our systems—any claims that we’re not doing so are patently false or misguided,” said Marlo McGriff, director of product for Google Maps.

At heart is whether Google is doing as it said it would in July 2022—auto-deleting location history entries for users who visit “medical facilities like counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, abortion clinics, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight loss clinics, cosmetic surgery clinics, and others,” so long as Google’s internal systems detect such a visit.

According to Accountable Tech’s study, which ran eight experiments in seven different states, “Google retained Location History data about 50% of the time.” For its research, the nonprofit purchased new Android phones and set up default privacy settings before physically traveling to Planned Parenthood locations. In four of the eight visits to Planned Parenthood clinics, Google deleted the _name_ of the clinic in the user’s location history, but the _route_ that was traveled remained.

The study also claimed that location _searches_ were not deleted, sharing a screenshot from a user’s “Web & App activity timeline” that showed the text:

> “Directions to Planned Parenthood – Locust Street Surgical Center, 1144 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19107.”

In responding to examples from Accountable Tech’s study that The Guardian shared, Google Maps director of product McGriff explained that Google’s systems did not detect that a user had visited a Planned Parenthood, and so the route to and from that Planned Parenthood was not deleted.

Google’s 2022 policy change was a direct response to the US Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which placed the legality of abortion access in the control of individual states.

As of early this year, 14 states, including Louisiana, Alabama, Idaho, and Indiana, have banned abortion in nearly all circumstances, according to The New York Times. An additional seven states have placed additional restrictions. The changes have pushed countless residents to leave their homes or violate state laws to seek healthcare.

When the Lock and Code podcast spoke with two experts in digital privacy and law from Electronic Frontier Foundation, both agreed on how the public could more safely navigate a post-Roe America: Say less.

Less than one month after recording that podcast, Facebook reportedly delivered messages to law enforcement that were between a mother and daughter who were under investigation for allegedly aborting a pregnancy.

Accountable Tech’s CEO Gill said this is the new landscape that Americans face.

“In post-Roe America, prosecutors are looking to Big Tech to help them build cases against abortion seekers by providing the data to track their every movement,” Gill said. “We deserve to have power over our own data, and we must fight to prevent a handful of powerful Big Tech companies from weaponizing our private information against us.”

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