arXiv Machine Learning
Jul 30

ToxScreen: Detecting Whether an LLM Has Been Poisoned

arXiv:2607. 26849v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: As large language models (LLMs) are deployed in high-stakes domains, adversaries may poison training data to implant backdoors: hidden triggers that covertly manipulate model behavior at inference time.

By Anthony Hughes, Nicole Xing, Collin Francel, Andy Kim, Andrew Draganov
arXiv Machine Learning
Oct 3

Removing the NEEDLE in the Haystack: Backdoor Removal in LLMs via Weight Orthogonalisation

The paper introduces NEEDLE, a training‑free technique for removing backdoors from large language models. After a trigger is identified, NEEDLE estimates a backdoor direction and a refusal subspace using activation vectors, then applies sequential weight orthogonalisation to suppress the backdoor while preserving refusal‑related representations. The method requires no clean reference model or original poisoned data and achieves the lowest attack success rate and minimal impact on model performance across multiple model families and attack types.

By Minoo Kim, Vasileios Lampos, George Drayson