arXiv:2511.03675cs.CRcs.AI2025-11被引 5

攻击者可通过分析加密流量中的包大小和时间模式,推断出用户提问的主题。

Whisper Leak: a side-channel attack on Large Language Models

  • 通过分析流式响应的包大小与时间间隔,实现对加密LLM流量的侧信道攻击。
  • 在28个主流模型上实现超98%的准确率,极端情况下仍可识别敏感话题。
  • 适用于受网络监控的用户,提醒开发者关注元数据泄露风险。

大型语言模型(LLMs)正被广泛应用于医疗、法律及保密通信等敏感领域,隐私保护至关重要。本文提出Whisper Leak,一种针对加密LLM流量的侧信道攻击,通过分析流式响应中的包大小和时间模式,推断用户提问主题。尽管内容受TLS加密保护,但这些元数据模式仍泄露足够信息用于主题分类。我们在28个主流厂商的热门模型上验证该攻击,实现近乎完美的分类性能(多数>98% AUPRC),即使在10,000:1的噪声与目标比例下仍保持高精度。许多模型可实现100%精度识别如“洗钱”等敏感话题,并恢复5%-20%的目标对话。此行业级漏洞使受网络监控的用户面临严重风险。我们评估了随机填充、令牌分批和包注入三种缓解策略,发现虽能降低攻击效果,但均无法提供完全保护。通过负责任披露,已与厂商合作部署初步防护措施。研究强调LLM提供商需重视元数据泄露问题,以应对日益敏感的应用场景。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly deployed in sensitive domains including healthcare, legal services, and confidential communications, where privacy is paramount. This paper introduces Whisper Leak, a side-channel attack that infers user prompt topics from encrypted LLM traffic by analyzing packet size and timing patterns in streaming responses. Despite TLS encryption protecting content, these metadata patterns leak sufficient information to enable topic classification. We demonstrate the attack across 28 popular LLMs from major providers, achieving near-perfect classification (often >98% AUPRC) and high precision even at extreme class imbalance (10,000:1 noise-to-target ratio). For many models, we achieve 100% precision in identifying sensitive topics like "money laundering" while recovering 5-20% of target conversations. This industry-wide vulnerability poses significant risks for users under network surveillance by ISPs, governments, or local adversaries. We evaluate three mitigation strategies - random padding, token batching, and packet injection - finding that while each reduces attack effectiveness, none provides complete protection. Through responsible disclosure, we have collaborated with providers to implement initial countermeasures. Our findings underscore the need for LLM providers to address metadata leakage as AI systems handle increasingly sensitive information.

侧信道攻击隐私安全大模型元数据泄露

Thank you to arXiv for use of its open access interoperability. PaperDance 不是 arXiv 官方产品;中文卡片由大模型生成,请以原文为准。