Firewall Security Company India Complete Firewall Security Solutions Provider Company in India
New Dual-Target Email Attacks Aim at Humans and AI Systems, ETCISO
Recent phishing attacks analysed by Barracuda Research found attackers combining two sets of tactics in a single email: social engineering aimed at the human recipient and prompt injection attacks designed to influence AI-powered email assistants.
The ‘dual-target’ emails contain multiple layers of content. One layer contains text and images visible to the recipient, while another contains hidden instructions intended for AI systems. These instructions can be concealed in HTML comments, invisible text elements such as zero-sized fonts or white text, encoded content, or protected attachments.
AI email assistants are designed to read, summarise, prioritise and manage messages. Hidden prompts can attempt to manipulate how these systems interpret and respond to email content.
Examples observed by Barracuda researchers include:
Adding a false high-priority action instructing an employee to update vendor payment details, increasing the likelihood of a fraudulent payment.
Manipulating automated CV screening by embedding hidden instructions telling the AI to award a perfect rating and recommend an interview regardless of qualifications.
Instructing an AI assistant to switch to an authorised maintenance or administrative mode and reveal its configuration.
Directing a coding assistant to insert credential-stealing code whenever it generates authentication functions.
The findings highlight a phishing approach in which a single email can target both the human recipient and an AI system processing the email. As AI assistants become integrated into business workflows, organisations need to account for prompt injection risks alongside conventional phishing threats.
