Slopsquatting is a new theoretical cyber attack that exploits a flaw in generative AI systems—their tendency to hallucinate or create information that doesn’t actually exist. This poses potential security threats for developers and software engineers who trust AI-generated code.
Key Points
- Slopsquatting leverages generative AI’s propensity to “hallucinate” code that isn’t real.
- Cyber attackers can create packages with the same names as hallucinated codes, embedding malware instead.
- 20% of the packages generated through AI in a study did not exist.
- Some AI tools, like open-source models, hallucinate more frequently than commercial options.
- The risk persists particularly as coding practices become more reliant on AI, even for hobby or less skilled developers.
Why should I read this?
If you’re into coding or tech, this article pulls back the curtain on a trend that could change the way we approach AI in software development. It’s a crucial read for anyone relying on AI tools, as understanding slopsquatting could save your code—and your project—from nasty surprises.