If your AI assistant were a person, would you give them the master key to your office, the password to your bank account, and a seat in every confidential meeting — all on their first day?

That’s exactly what many organizations do with AI integrations.

Integration Points: AI’s Hidden Risk Surface

Modern AI platforms thrive on connections. We link them to:

• Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive)

• CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho)

• Email platforms (Gmail, Outlook)

• Project management tools (Trello, Asana, Jira)

• Data warehouses and BI tools

Each connection adds functionality — but also another potential entry point for attackers.

When a zero-click attack like Zenity’s ChatGPT exploit succeeds, every integration becomes a ready-made expansion path for the intruder. The AI isn’t just one system — it’s the hub of an interconnected ecosystem.

The Overtrust Problem

AI assistants feel safe because they look helpful. The interface is friendly, the tone is professional, and they don’t make security demands like humans do. But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

We give AI tools more access than we’d give a human employee — without the same vetting, onboarding, or monitoring.

• We grant full read/write permissions instead of the minimal access needed.

• We connect every available tool, just in case we might use it someday.

• We rarely audit or revoke old permissions, leaving integrations in place long after they’re needed.

This creates what security experts call integration sprawl — dozens of pathways in and out of your systems, with no one keeping a full inventory.

Why Attackers Love Integration Sprawl

From an attacker’s perspective, integration sprawl is like breaking into a house and finding that every door inside leads to another unlocked house.

• One breach, many systems – If they compromise the AI, they don’t need to hack each connected app separately.

• Sideways movement – They can hop from a low-security system to a high-value one through trusted connections.

• Low visibility – Many integrations don’t trigger alerts when accessed through an AI platform, so attackers stay hidden longer.

Realistic Attack Chains

• The CRM Leak
  The attacker enters via ChatGPT, then uses its Salesforce connection to export your entire customer list, complete with purchase history and contact details.

• The BI Tamper
  They alter data in your analytics dashboard via the AI’s data warehouse integration, leading you to make major business decisions based on false metrics.

• The Project Hijack
  They gain access to your Jira board and inject malicious code into a development sprint, disguised as an approved AI-generated update.

Signs of Overtrust in Your Organization

• No one can produce a current list of all AI integrations in use.

• Permissions for connected apps default to “full access” without review.

• Old, unused integrations remain active because “they might be handy someday.”

• AI accounts are treated as less critical to secure than primary business systems.

How to Rein in AI Integration Risk

1. Inventory All Integrations

   • List every app, storage service, and platform connected to your AI accounts.

2. Apply Least-Privilege Access

   • Give each integration only the permissions it truly needs.

3. Set Expiration Dates for Connections

   • Require integrations to be reauthorized every 90 days.

4. Centralize Integration Management

   • Control AI integrations through an admin console with oversight.

5. Monitor and Alert

   • Configure alerts for unexpected API calls or large data exports via AI accounts.

A Shift in Mindset

Think of AI platforms not as standalone tools, but as super users with far-reaching influence over your systems.
If you wouldn’t give a junior employee unrestricted access to every department, you shouldn’t give it to your AI either.

The Bottom Line

The weakest link in AI security isn’t the chatbot itself — it’s the web of connections we build around it without proper control.
Every integration point is a door. Overtrust leaves them unlocked.

The lesson from Zenity’s Black Hat demo is clear: in the AI era, security isn’t just about protecting the AI; it’s about controlling what it can touch.

📢 EBODA.digital can help you identify and close risky AI integration gaps
We perform full integration audits, permission reviews, and AI security policy development to keep your systems safe.
Schedule your assessment today
before overtrust turns into oversight.