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Exploiting Latent Space Discontinuities for Building Universal LLM Jailbreaks and Data Extraction Attacks

Authors: Kayua Oleques Paim, Rodrigo Brandao Mansilha, Diego Kreutz, Muriel Figueredo Franco, Weverton Cordeiro

Published: 2025-11-01

arXiv ID: 2511.00346v1

Added to Library: 2025-11-05 05:01 UTC

Red Teaming

📄 Abstract

The rapid proliferation of Large Language Models (LLMs) has raised significant concerns about their security against adversarial attacks. In this work, we propose a novel approach to crafting universal jailbreaks and data extraction attacks by exploiting latent space discontinuities, an architectural vulnerability related to the sparsity of training data. Unlike previous methods, our technique generalizes across various models and interfaces, proving highly effective in seven state-of-the-art LLMs and one image generation model. Initial results indicate that when these discontinuities are exploited, they can consistently and profoundly compromise model behavior, even in the presence of layered defenses. The findings suggest that this strategy has substantial potential as a systemic attack vector.

🔍 Key Points

  • Proposes a novel universal jailbreaking methodology targeting large language models (LLMs) using latent space discontinuities, offering a significant advancement over traditional attack strategies.
  • Demonstrates that the exploitation of architectural vulnerabilities can compromise the security of various state-of-the-art LLMs and one image generation model under varied interfaces and defenses.
  • Presents empirical evidence showcasing successful jailbreaks and data extraction attempts against LLMs, highlighting the effectiveness of the iterative refinement approach used in prompting.
  • Introduces a detailed methodological framework for evaluating the effectiveness of malicious intent prompts and highlights the risk of unauthorized data extraction from both language and image models.
  • Discusses broader societal and economic implications, urging the need for enhanced countermeasures against systemic vulnerabilities in LLM architectures.

💡 Why This Paper Matters

This paper is crucial as it unveils a novel vector for adversarial attacks on large language models, emphasizing the need for continuous evaluation and enhancement of security protocols against emerging techniques that exploit latent spaces. The findings call for a reconsideration of design paradigms in LLMs, shifting the focus towards internal geometric robustness and resilience against sophisticated exploitative strategies.

🎯 Why It's Interesting for AI Security Researchers

The paper is highly relevant to AI security researchers as it presents a fresh perspective on vulnerabilities within LLM architectures. Its findings on latent space discontinuities as a new attack vector not only challenge existing security paradigms but also provide a foundation for future research on preventive measures and defenses. Understanding these vulnerabilities will be crucial for developing more secure AI systems, particularly in light of the growing deployment of LLMs across sensitive applications.

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