A chatbot (or computer program) conducts human conversations via messaging apps or websites. Because they don’t require much user interaction, they allow companies to reach out to customers easily.
Some businesses use them to take customer service calls and ask for feedback. Others use them to provide information or conduct transactions.
But the question is, Can Chatbots Be Hacked?
Yes, and it’s a good thing they can be hacked. Hacking a chatbot is similar to hacking a website. You can use the same tools and techniques that hackers use to find vulnerabilities in websites and exploit them to take control of the chatbot.
The vulnerabilities
The most common way for hackers to gain control of chatbots is by exploiting security vulnerabilities in the software. The software may have:
Sensitive information stored in plain text
Insecure network protocols
Insecure communications such as lack of encryption or TLS implementation issues
Vulnerable components such as outdated versions of packages or third-party libraries
Security hardening issues, such as weak passwords and lack of access control lists (ACLs) on sensitive files, directories, or processes activate
Most of these vulnerabilities can be spotted by simply inspecting the source code. That’s why most major vulnerabilities in chatbots have been disclosed in a public manner. Hackers often report vulnerabilities to the developers, and they can fix them in the next release or two.
What makes chatbots vulnerable?
Chatbots are vulnerable to the same security issues as websites, so you should know what these issues are:
Insecure transmission of sensitive data via plain-text protocols such as HTTP.
If a hacker is able to intercept your traffic, he will be able to see everything that you send and receive. This could include your credit card numbers, usernames and passwords, or any other sensitive information that you’re using to conduct business.
Alternatively, it could include login credentials for your chatbot accounts (such as administrator accounts). In short, it’s highly advisable that you avoid transmitting sensitive data over insecure channels. Instead, use secure transmission methods such as SSL/TLS or VPN.
Insecure network protocols
Insecure network protocols such as HTTP Basic Authentication (which isn’t secure), plain HTTP (which isn’t secure), and SMTP (which allows sender spoofing). It’s safer to use HTTPS instead of HTTP whenever possible, and TLS instead of SSL whenever possible.
If SMTP support is for legacy reasons, consider implementing SPF and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) to prevent sender spoofing. Never send passwords or other authentication tokens over plain HTTP or SMTP. Because third parties can read without your consent.
Insecure communications
Insecure communications due to lack encryption or TLS implementation issues: If your bot is communicating with other services or bots over a public network, then they may intercept your login credentials. This could result in identity theft, or it could result in your bot as compromised.
Vulnerable components
Vulnerable components such as outdated versions of packages or third-party libraries: Hackers can exploit old versions of packages that contain known security vulnerabilities and can even inject malicious code into the package during installation (through a process called package “poisoning”).
To protect against this risk, make sure your chatbot’s host machine has automatic updates. Or set it to automatically install updates from the package maintainer.
Security hardening issues
Security hardening issues such as weak passwords and lack of access control lists (ACLs) on sensitive files, directories, or processes: Hackers can gain access to your files by exploiting weak passwords and by taking advantage of any misconfigured access control lists (ACLs) on them.
To protect against this risk: never store passwords or authentication tokens in clear text. Instead, store them in hashes and verify the password when necessary. Always use strong passwords that are at least 15 characters long.
Further, limit access to sensitive files and directories so that only authorized people to have access. Implement ACLs on sensitive files, directories, or processes and make sure they are secure. Also, follow best practices for file permissions so that you don’t accidentally give away access rights to unrelated users. Finally, disable unnecessary services that aren’t being used by the chatbot.
Lack of proper security hardening:
Many chatbots run as root (i.e., with complete administrative rights) because they are running on shared hosting environments with other websites that aren’t related to any business processes. This may allow hackers to gain complete access to your system and take over your entire system.