Explain like I'm five · AI Theory

What is the OWASP Top 10 for LLMs?

The OWASP Top 10 for LLMs, told as a story about an industry-wide board that gave shared numbers to incidents every station used to call by a different name.

SHARED RISK LISTLLM01 ~ LLM10??? ???what are all these numbers?not just our station's own records — a list the whole industry put together

An unfamiliar board appeared at the entrance.This board isn't just our own records — it's a list the whole industry put together.

we call it a note incidentwe call it an insertion problemwe've got yet another name...when the same incident has different names, stations can't compare notes or learn together

Every station calls the same incident by a different name.When the same incident has different names, stations can't compare notes or learn together.

LLM TOP 10 BOARDLLM01 note insertionLLM02 sensitive info leakLLM03 excessive agency... LLM10 improper outputthe OWASP LLM Top 10 = incidents from many stations, pooled and numbered into one shared listeach number is just a label — the detail lives elsewhere

The OWASP LLM Top 10 is a shared, industry-agreed risk list.Each number is just a label — the detail lives elsewhere.

Call it by a shared numberevery station calls the same incident by the same number
Update it periodicallynew incidents reshape the list
Link out to the detailthe list is the map; the details are on each item's page
Just a checklistthe list doesn't block anything by itself
TOP 10 → THE FULL STORYLLM01 note insertion → the note slipped behind the orderLLM02 sensitive info leak → the carbon-copy dishLLM03 excessive agency → the errand given too much freedomLLM04 supply chain → the ingredient-origin ledgerLLM05 data and model poisoning → tainted ingredients mixed inLLM06 unbounded use → the endless order bombLLM07 misinformation → answering confidently while unsureLLM08 hidden context exposure → quietly copying the recipe bookLLM09 vector weaknesses → the fake card in the reference boxLLM10 improper output → the dish served unchecked

Each Top 10 item links out to its own fuller story.This page explains the list itself — the details of each item live on the linked page.

CHECK LISTchecked all 10?the list only helps check for missed risksthe actual defenses live on each item's own pagethe board is only a map — the actual defenses are on each item's page

The board itself doesn't block any incident.The list is only a map — the actual defenses are on each item's page.

In one breath

The OWASP Top 10 for LLMs = a shared risk board that pools incidents from many sites into industry-agreed numbers. The list itself is only a map — the real defenses live on the page each number points to.

The OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications is an LLM01-LLM10 threat classification that the OWASP GenAI Security Project updates periodically from community judgment and analysis of real incidents. In the 2026 edition, published in August 2026, its items in order are prompt injection, sensitive information disclosure, excessive agency, supply chain, data and model poisoning, unbounded consumption, misinformation, hidden context exposure (a broader version of the 2025 edition's system prompt leakage), vector and embedding weaknesses, and improper output handling. Numbers shift between editions, so cite the edition with the number. The list's value is in giving everyone a shared vocabulary — the actual defenses live in the detailed material (guidelines, or this site's own per-term pages) that each item points to.

When grown-ups say it

LLM01 Prompt Injection
The note slipped behind the order. → see the note incident in full
LLM05 Data and Model Poisoning
Tainted crops mixed into the pantry. → see the tainted-ingredient story
LLM08 Hidden Context Exposure
Quietly copying hidden instructions, like the recipe book. → see the leak in full
LLM03 Excessive Agency
An errand given too much freedom. → see it in full
Model Theft
Copying the whole sorting rulebook. LLM10 in the 2023 edition; the 2026 edition folds it into LLM06, unbounded consumption. → see it in full
AI Governance
The whole-farm operating rules board. The Top 10 is one list governance leans on. → the rules board on the wall
Red Team
Someone who actually pokes at each board item, unannounced. → the AI-specific inspector
Model Card
The spec sheet for one sorter. Safety check results are sometimes noted there too. → see it in full
Next story
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