It’s crucial to update your ChatGPT desktop app immediately to ensure your conversations remain secure.
Last month, OpenAI introduced its ChatGPT desktop application for Mac, which allows users to generate text and write code through chatbot interactions. However, a recent report highlighted security concerns, revealing a flaw in the app that could have exposed users’ conversations with the chatbot to hackers or malicious software. OpenAI has since addressed and resolved this issue.
“We are aware of this issue and have released a new version of the application that encrypts these conversations. We remain dedicated to delivering a helpful user experience while upholding our high security standards as our technology advances,” OpenAI spokesperson Taya Christianson told The Verge.
What’s the ChatGPT macOS Bug About?
Developer Pedro Vieito discovered that the ChatGPT macOS app was storing user conversations in plain text on the computer. This posed a security risk, as hackers or malicious apps with access to the computer could easily read these conversations.
The issue was particularly concerning because the app appeared to bypass Apple’s “sandboxing” security feature. Sandboxing isolates apps and their data, preventing them from accessing other system or app data without permission. This protects user data from unauthorized access by other apps or malware.
While all apps on iPhones are sandboxed by default, macOS requires apps to explicitly request permission to access data outside their sandbox. Typically, chat apps handling sensitive data use sandboxing for added security, but the ChatGPT app apparently did not.
How to Keep Yourself Safe
First, always download apps from the official app store, as they are reviewed before being made available to users. When using chatbots, avoid sharing sensitive information during conversations, as this data might be used to train AI models.