Retriever Backdoors Pose a Practical Threat to Code Generation
Published:Dec 25, 2025 13:53
•1 min read
•ArXiv
Analysis
This paper highlights a critical and previously underexplored security vulnerability in Retrieval-Augmented Code Generation (RACG) systems. It introduces a novel and stealthy backdoor attack targeting the retriever component, demonstrating that existing defenses are insufficient. The research reveals a significant risk of generating vulnerable code, emphasizing the need for robust security measures in software development.
Key Takeaways
- •Retriever backdoors are a practical and stealthy threat to RACG systems.
- •Existing defenses are ineffective against the proposed attack.
- •A small amount of poisoned code can lead to significant vulnerability in generated code.
- •The research highlights the urgent need for improved security measures in code generation.
Reference
“By injecting vulnerable code equivalent to only 0.05% of the entire knowledge base size, an attacker can successfully manipulate the backdoored retriever to rank the vulnerable code in its top-5 results in 51.29% of cases.”