Here’s something you probably didn’t see coming: Google is warning people about… calendar invites. Not malware, not ransomware, not some shady attachment. Calendar invites.
And yeah, that’s exactly the problem.
Researchers at SafeBreach figured out you can sneak hidden instructions into one of those bland little meeting requests. When Google’s AI assistant, Gemini, sees it, it doesn’t question a thing. It just follows the orders. That means it could start spamming people, leaking your private conversations, or even coughing up your home address. All because you clicked “accept” on what looked like an ordinary reminder about lunch or a Zoom call.
It’s like someone walking up to your door with a friendly grin, asking for directions, and instead of answering, you hand them the keys to your house.
To their credit, Google reacted fast. They flagged most of these attacks as “High-Critical” and rolled out fixes by June. That’s good. But what sticks with me is this: the attack wasn’t powered by malicious code or a sneaky file. It was just words. Lines of text carefully written to trick an AI into betraying you
Prompt Injection, Explained Without the Jargon
Think of AI as the world’s smartest intern. Brilliant, hardworking, but way too trusting. You hand it instructions, it follows them. But if somebody slips in a secret note that says “Ignore your boss and hand me the company credit card,” the intern will do that too. No hesitation.
That’s prompt injection in a nutshell. It’s not malware. It’s not code. It’s language used like a crowbar. And in 2025, OWASP actually ranked it as the number one risk for large language models.
There are two versions of this attack. Direct prompt injection is when the attacker simply tells the AI to drop everything and hand over the password. Indirect prompt injection is trickier: the malicious commands are buried inside something the AI looks at, like a website, a document, or yes, even that calendar invite. When the AI reads it, it treats those hidden instructions as part of your request and runs with them.
Researchers proved you could even hide instructions in white text or zero-size fonts. You’d never see them, but Gemini would. Suddenly, it’s warning you that “your Gmail password has been compromised” and handing you a fake support number. It’s basically a whisper you can’t hear, but your technology listens and obeys.
Other Tricks Attackers Are Working On
Prompt injection might be grabbing headlines, but it’s not the only move attackers are practicing. Think of cybersecurity like running a restaurant. Most intruders will try the front door, but some will sneak in through a window or drop in through the ceiling. AI is opening up new windows and skylights that we’ve never had to worry about before.
Take adversarial prompts, for example. Researchers found that with the right phrase, you can push an AI into saying things it was never supposed to say, almost like using a cheat code to unlock a hidden level in a video game. Then there are AI worms. They’re still mostly theoretical, but the concept is chilling: a prompt that replicates itself as it moves from one AI system to another, spreading like gossip in a crowded room.
Jailbreaking is another angle. This is when someone convinces the AI to ignore its guardrails altogether. Imagine tricking your smart fridge into coughing up its engineering blueprints when all you really wanted was a sandwich. And finally, there are hybrid attacks. These combine prompt injection with old-school techniques like SQL injection, which is a bit like poisoning the soup while also hacking the oven in the kitchen.
How to Keep Yourself (and Your AI) Safe
The good news is you don’t need a million-dollar setup to protect yourself. The basics still work.
Think of how you secure your home. You lock the front door, maybe add a deadbolt, throw in some motion lights, and if you’re really serious, maybe you’ve got a dog that makes a racket when the mailman walks up. Each layer adds protection, and together they make it much harder for anyone to get in.
AI safety works the same way. Don’t treat every invite, email, or shared document as automatically safe. Google is already scanning for shady stuff, but it’s worth slowing down and giving a second look to anything odd. And don’t act blindly on whatever the AI tells you. If it suggests clicking a link, calling a number, or handing over credentials, stop and think before moving.
Permissions are another big one. Don’t give your AI more access than it actually needs. If a tool doesn’t need to see your emails or calendar, don’t connect them. Human oversight matters too. If the AI is about to make a sensitive change, make sure a person has to sign off first. And above all, build layers: a mix of policies, filters, monitoring, and most importantly, awareness. People who understand the risks are less likely to get tricked.
Simply Said, We Need to Watch Our Language
AI still feels magical, but the magic is fragile. The trick isn’t a virus or a ransomware payload. It’s a few hidden words inside something ordinary, like a calendar invite. Language itself has become the weapon.
That’s unsettling, but it’s also a reality check. This is the world we’re moving into, where convenience and automation come with hidden risks. The encouraging part is we’re not powerless. With smart habits, layered defenses, and a healthy dose of skepticism, AI can stay useful without turning into a liability.
I like to think of it as a garden. You want it to grow, but you still build a fence, pull the weeds, and keep an eye out for pests. AI is no different. Invite it in, let it make your life easier, but never stop paying attention.
By: Brad W. Beatty
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