12Cyber & softwareBelow the top 20
Model-authored firmware implants
CapabilityDomain knowledgeImpact domainCap-adjacent
Statement (NASA form)
Given that codegen tools now emit low-level C and Verilog that reviewers do not read line by line, there is a possibility of a plausible firmware change that is a persistent implant resulting in hardware that cannot be cleaned with a software patch.
Likelihood
2Remote
Consequence
5Catastrophic
Urgency
2Planned
The rhyming-bug problem goes down the stack.
Composite 12 = 2×5 + 2
Applicable mitigations
Controls · SAST and invariant tests as a merge gate on generated diffs · Provenance tags on generated code in the review UI · Diversity requirements on critical paths · Hardened weight storage and insider controls · Mandatory vulnerability-sharing with national CERTs before launch · Staged release with external red-team gates