aiqbench analysis
This paper introduces CIPL, a novel framework for evaluating black-box privacy leakage in LLM agents by modeling the transition from internal sensitive data to externally recoverable outputs. By analyzing heterogeneous pipelines including memory, retrieval, and tool-use mechanisms, the study demonstrates that storage labels alone are insufficient predictors of actual exposure, highlighting critical gaps where semantic audits can identify attacker-relevant disclosures missed by exact matching.
CIPL: A Channel-Aware Framework for Recoverable Privacy Leakage in LLM Agents
arXiv:2609.21686v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Privacy leakage in LLM agents is commonly evaluated within individual components such as memory, retrieval, or tool-use pipelines, which makes it difficult to distinguish internal exposure from information that an external observer can actually recover. We present CIPL (Channel Inversion for Privacy Leakage), a channel-aware evaluation framework for black-box privacy leakage in LLM agents. CIPL represents a target through sensitive source, selection, assembly, execution, observation, and extraction stages and evaluates the transition from selected sensitive units to attacker-recoverable output under a shared protocol. Experiments across memory-based, retrieval-mediated, and tool-mediated targets, together with a BrowserUse live-agent case study, show that storage labels alone do not determine recoverability. Memory targets form a near-saturated reference case, retrieval-mediated leakage is frequently partial, and tool-mediated and live-agent leakage varies strongly with observation surface, prompt-to-channel alignment, retrieval depth, and provider behavior. A stratified semantic audit further identifies attacker-useful disclosures that canonical exact matching misses. CIPL therefore provides a common framework for comparing how internal sensitive dependence is realized as externally recoverable leakage across heterogeneous agent pipelines.
Abstract:Privacy leakage in LLM agents is commonly evaluated within individual components such as memory, retrieval, or tool-use pipelines, which makes it difficult to distinguish internal exposure from information that an external observer can actually recover. We present CIPL (Channel Inversion for Privacy Leakage), a channel-aware evaluation framework for black-box privacy leakage in LLM agents. CIPL represents a target through sensitive source, selection, assembly, execution, observation, and extraction stages and evaluates the transition from selected sensitive units to attacker-recoverable output under a shared protocol. Experiments across memory-based, retrieval-mediated, and tool-mediated targets, together with a BrowserUse live-agent case study, show that storage labels alone do not determine recoverability. Memory targets form a near-saturated reference case, retrieval-mediated leakage is frequently partial, and tool-mediated and live-agent leakage varies strongly with observation surface, prompt-to-channel alignment, retrieval depth, and provider behavior. A stratified semantic audit further identifies attacker-useful disclosures that canonical exact matching misses. CIPL therefore provides a common framework for comparing how internal sensitive dependence is realized as externally recoverable leakage across heterogeneous agent pipelines.
Cryptography and Security (cs.CR); Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI)
arXiv:2609.21686 [cs.CR]
(or arXiv:2609.21686v1 [cs.CR] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2609.21686 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)
arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.
Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.
Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs.
Full text under the publisher's open licence · 268 words
Related coverage
When Agents Talk, Secrets Travel: Topology-Driven Leakage and Recipient-Conditioned Sanitization in Multi-Agent LLM Systems
arXiv · Oct 15, 2026
Measurement-First Auditing of Agentic Leaderboards: Contamination Susceptibility, Matched-Control Re-evaluation, and Scorer Validation
arXiv · Oct 7, 2026
Selection-Invariant Communication Compilers for Privacy-Aware Multi-Agent LLM Workflows
arXiv · Sep 24, 2026

Digital States 2026: AI Moves From Experiment to Infrastructure
govtech.com · Sep 24, 2026