At StormWind Studios, we work hard to make sure that we provide the best IT training to help people keep computer systems secure. Recently, there’s been news about tricking an AI into writing harmful code, and it reminds us why cybersecurity training, like our Pentest+ and other cybersecurity courses, is so important today.
Recent findings showed how OpenAI’s language model, GPT-4o, could be tricked into creating exploit code using hexadecimal encoding. Hexadecimal, or hex, is a way of representing data that looks harmless, but in this case, it hid harmful instructions. The researcher used hex to get around OpenAI’s built-in security, revealing a serious flaw in Docker Engine (CVE-2024-41110). This vulnerability, which has now been patched, let attackers get around security checks and gain almost complete control. This is exactly the type of problem our courses help you prepare for through hands-on practice with cybersecurity and penetration testing.
The Attack and What It Means
To get past the security, the harmful instructions were encoded in hex. This made the instructions look safe, allowing the AI to generate Python code to exploit the CVE-2024-41110 vulnerability. The generated code was very similar to a proof-of-concept made earlier this year. This proves that even advanced AI models can still be tricked, which means we need smarter safeguards and, just as importantly, skilled defenders.
This is a perfect example of why cybersecurity is an ongoing challenge. As systems get more advanced, attackers find new ways to break in. This trick shows that it’s a constant back-and-forth between developers and attackers. That’s why staying up-to-date with cybersecurity education is so important. If you’re uncomfortable with things like hex encoding or how AI vulnerabilities work, now is the time to improve those skills.
Why This Matters for You
This isn’t just theoretical. In your career, you will likely face vulnerabilities like these. AI is becoming a standard part of systems, and understanding how attackers can use or manipulate these technologies is key to keeping systems safe. Our cybersecurity courses at StormWind Studios give you the hands-on, current training you need to stay ahead of these risks. Courses like Pentest+ are especially useful for learning advanced penetration testing techniques, including encoding methods like hex, and understanding how vulnerabilities are exploited in the real world.
Making Security Better for Everyone
These findings show how important it is to have better AI protections, such as detecting encoded data like hex and base64, and creating AI that can understand the bigger picture instead of looking at each step separately. But even with tech solutions, we still need human experts who understand these systems deeply, people who can think like attackers and help prevent threats. That’s where quality training comes in.
At StormWind Studios, we want to help you stay one step ahead. If you’re looking to improve your skills in defending against vulnerabilities like these, take a look at our full range of cybersecurity courses. We want our learners to be ready for anything, whether it’s tricking an AI into writing harmful code or stopping those kinds of attacks before they happen.
Want to learn more? Check out our Pentest+ course today and keep your cybersecurity skills sharp!
