Microsoft builds scanner to detect LLM hidden backdoors
🛡️ Microsoft has developed a scanner to detect hidden backdoors in open-weight language models, focusing on triggers and malicious behaviors inserted during training or fine-tuning. The tool flags three observable signatures — attention hijacking, leakage of poisoned training fragments, and sensitivity to partial triggers — and runs using forward passes only without retraining or backpropagation. It is designed to work with most causal, GPT-style models and to serve as an added layer of supply-chain security for enterprises using third-party or open-source models.
