By Medha Cloud Security Desk
A newly disclosed flaw in Google’s Gemini for Workspace shows how invisible text can be turned against artificial intelligence itself.
Researchers found that attackers can embed hidden instructions inside ordinary Gmail messages, directing Gemini to perform actions the user never intended.
The method relies on “ASCII smuggling,” a technique that hides commands in zero-width spaces or matching-color text. When Gemini summarizes an email or drafts a reply, it may unknowingly follow those secret prompts — leaking information or generating malicious content. (Tom’s Guide)
What makes the issue unsettling is its subtlety. There are no links to click, no attachments to open, no malware to scan for. The attack lives entirely within the logic of an AI model reading the text it was built to trust.
Security analysts say the flaw reflects a broader dilemma for generative-AI systems: the more context they understand, the more leverage they give to anyone who can manipulate that context. For companies that depend on Workspace to process contracts, medical data, or internal mail, that’s not a theoretical concern.
Google has characterized the finding as low-risk, but many observers disagree. The problem, they note, is not a single bug — it’s a new category of vulnerability. AI systems can now be persuaded as easily as people.
For organizations that handle regulated or confidential information, this new class of “invisible prompt” attack raises hard questions about oversight.
Microsoft 365’s architecture offers stricter identity enforcement, conditional access, and unified AI governance — protections that help isolate automated actions from sensitive data.
Medha Cloud helps businesses migrate to that environment without disruption, ensuring continuity and compliance throughout the transition.
