大模型其实有隐性记忆,能跨对话保留信息并触发隐藏行为。
Stateless Yet Not Forgetful: Implicit Memory as a Hidden Channel in LLMs
- 通过输出内容编码信息,下次输入时自动恢复,无需额外记忆模块。
- 可实现时间炸弹式后门,需多轮交互满足条件才激活,难以察觉。
- 适合安全研究者、模型评估者关注,警示潜在隐蔽风险。
大型语言模型通常被视为无状态:一次交互结束后,信息即被清除,除非显式存储并重新提供。本文挑战这一假设,提出隐性记忆——模型可通过自身输出编码信息,并在后续输入中恢复这些信息,从而在看似独立的交互间建立持久的信息通道。该机制无需显式记忆模块即可实现。作为具体例证,我们引入一类新型时间后门(时间炸弹),其不依赖单一触发输入,而需多轮交互满足隐含条件才能激活。我们证明,仅通过简单提示或微调即可诱导此类行为。此外,我们分析了隐性记忆更广泛的影响,包括隐蔽的智能体间通信、基准测试污染、定向操控及训练数据投毒。最后讨论了检测难点,并提出压力测试与评估方向,旨在预见并控制未来风险。为促进后续研究,代码与数据已公开于 https://github.com/microsoft/implicitMemory。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Large language models (LLMs) are commonly treated as stateless: once an interaction ends, no information is assumed to persist unless it is explicitly stored and re-supplied. We challenge this assumption by introducing implicit memory-the ability of a model to carry state across otherwise independent interactions by encoding information in its own outputs and later recovering it when those outputs are reintroduced as input. This mechanism does not require any explicit memory module, yet it creates a persistent information channel across inference requests. As a concrete demonstration, we introduce a new class of temporal backdoors, which we call time bombs. Unlike conventional backdoors that activate on a single trigger input, time bombs activate only after a sequence of interactions satisfies hidden conditions accumulated via implicit memory. We show that such behavior can be induced today through straightforward prompting or fine-tuning. Beyond this case study, we analyze broader implications of implicit memory, including covert inter-agent communication, benchmark contamination, targeted manipulation, and training-data poisoning. Finally, we discuss detection challenges and outline directions for stress-testing and evaluation, with the goal of anticipating and controlling future developments. To promote future research, we release code and data at: https://github.com/microsoft/implicitMemory.
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