A simple but powerful prompt-injection vulnerability in a popular AI platform, Manus, could have opened the door for data theft and compromise —- and showcases the ongoing risk that users face from prompt injection.
Manus is an agentic AI app whose rise to prominence was dramatic. Within a week of its launch in March 2025, 2 million people reportedly had signed up for its user waitlist. The same year it launched, it agreed to a sale to Meta for $2 billion, until the deal was scuppered by the Chinese government. It is now attempting to obtain new funding, which assumes a company valuation of $4 billion.
As with most fast-growing AI apps, Manus comes with cybersecurity risks in proportion to the power it affords its users. In a report shared exclusively with Dark Reading, researchers at Salt Labs disclosed a prompt injection vulnerability that allowed them to perform remote code execution (RCE) in a stranger's Manus environment. The vulnerability allowed them to manipulate not only Manus but also any third-party applications a victim might have connected to it.