Retrieval-augmented generation trusts its knowledge base by default — and that trust is exactly what attackers exploit. Our RAG pipeline security assessment reviews ingestion, embedding, retrieval and generation for poisoning, leakage and access-control failures.
We test whether malicious content in your sources can steer the model, and whether users can retrieve data they shouldn't.
We assess the entire retrieval-augmented generation pipeline end to end: ingestion and pre-processing, embedding, vector storage, retrieval and the final generation step. Our RAG security testing looks for poisoning of the knowledge base, retrieval-triggered prompt injection, cross-tenant data leakage and access-control failures where retrieval bypasses application permissions. We work with Pinecone, Weaviate, pgvector, Milvus, Qdrant and Elasticsearch, and with RAG frameworks like LangChain and LlamaIndex.
Why it matters
Retrieval-augmented generation trusts its knowledge base implicitly, and that trust is exactly what attackers exploit. Poisoned documents, mis-scoped retrieval and weak access controls let an attacker steer model output or read data they should never see.
As RAG becomes the default pattern for enterprise AI, its pipeline — ingestion, embedding, retrieval and generation — becomes a high-value attack surface that traditional application testing does not cover.
What we test
- Vector-store & document poisoning
- Retrieval-based prompt injection
- Cross-tenant context leakage
- Access-control gaps on sources
- Embedding & similarity manipulation
- Source spoofing & citation abuse
Common vulnerabilities we uncover
- Vector-store and document poisoning
- Retrieval-triggered indirect prompt injection
- Cross-tenant context and data leakage
- Access-control bypass on retrieved sources
- Embedding and similarity manipulation
- Source spoofing and citation abuse
Our RAG Pipeline Security Assessment methodology
- Scoping & rules of engagement. We agree objectives, targets and boundaries for your rag pipeline security assessment, so testing is safe, authorized and focused on what matters to your business.
- Reconnaissance & mapping. We enumerate the full attack surface in scope, building a complete picture before any exploitation begins.
- Manual exploitation. Our senior testers chain vulnerabilities by hand — going far beyond automated scanners — to prove real, demonstrable impact.
- Analysis & reporting. Every finding is triaged, risk-rated with CVSS and written up with a copy-paste reproduction and clear remediation.
- Remediation support & free retest. We support your team through the fixes and retest the remediated issues to confirm they are genuinely closed.
Tools & techniques
We assess RAG pipelines with a mix of data-poisoning payloads, retrieval instrumentation and multi-tenant test scenarios. We inject crafted documents into the knowledge base and observe whether they steer generation, probe whether retrieval respects application permissions, and test embedding and similarity manipulation. We work hands-on with your vector store and RAG framework to trace exactly how untrusted content and mis-scoped retrieval reach the model and the user.
When you need RAG Pipeline Security Assessment
- When an LLM answers from internal documents, tickets or knowledge bases
- For multi-tenant SaaS products where users must not see each other's data
- Before connecting sensitive or regulated data sources to a RAG system
- After adding user-uploaded content to a retrieval pipeline
What you receive
- RAG pipeline threat model
- Poisoning & leakage PoCs
- Access-control hardening plan
- Free retest after remediation
What’s included in your report
Every rag pipeline security assessment engagement concludes with a comprehensive, board-ready report and a working session to walk your team through it. Your report includes:
- An executive summary with overall risk posture for non-technical stakeholders
- Detailed technical findings, each with a step-by-step, copy-paste reproduction
- CVSS v3.1 severity ratings and business-impact context for every issue
- Prioritized, actionable remediation guidance your engineers can apply directly
- A complimentary retest to confirm fixes and update finding status
- A formal attestation letter for customers, auditors and compliance programs
Standards & frameworks
OWASP LLM Top 10 (LLM01, LLM06)
MITRE ATLAS
NIST AI RMF
Outcomes you can expect
After your rag pipeline security assessment, you will have clear, evidence-based visibility into your real security risk — not a scanner’s guesswork. You will know exactly which weaknesses an attacker could exploit, what the business impact would be, and the precise steps to fix them in priority order. Teams use our findings to close critical gaps, satisfy customer and regulator security requirements, and demonstrate due diligence to their board. With a complimentary retest included, you also get documented proof that the issues are genuinely resolved.
Engagement details & logistics
Every rag pipeline security assessment starts with a short, no-obligation scoping call to understand your goals, environment and constraints, followed by a fixed-price proposal and a clear statement of work. Most engagements are delivered fully remotely, with on-site work arranged where it genuinely adds value. Throughout testing we maintain an agreed communication cadence and escalate any critical, high-impact finding to you immediately rather than waiting for the final report. All work is performed under a signed NDA with strict data-handling controls, using safe, non-disruptive techniques and carefully coordinated rules of engagement to protect your production systems. On completion you receive your report and a walkthrough session, followed by a complimentary retest once your fixes are in place. Typical engagements are booked one to three weeks in advance, and urgent or pre-deadline testing can often be accommodated — just ask at hi@agentoffense.com.
Why organizations choose AgentOffense for RAG Pipeline Security Assessment
Our rag pipeline security assessment is delivered by senior offensive-security engineers who test the way real attackers do — manually, creatively and with a relentless focus on proving genuine, demonstrable impact. Here is what sets our engagements apart:
- Manual, exploit-driven testing that chains vulnerabilities the way a real attacker would, going far beyond what automated scanners can find.
- Reproducible proof for every finding, with copy-paste reproduction steps your engineers can follow and independently verify.
- Honest severity calibration so you invest in fixing what genuinely matters and avoid wasting effort on false positives and noise.
- Clear, business-focused reporting that speaks to engineers and executives alike, tying every issue to real-world impact.
- A complimentary retest included, so you get documented proof that your fixes actually close the attack path.
- Responsible, collaborative delivery with a named point of contact and secure handling of all data throughout the engagement.
Explore related services
RAG Pipeline Security Assessment is frequently scoped alongside our other offensive-security services for broader coverage. Explore related engagements that complement it:
- Prompt Injection Testing — Prompt injection testing — direct and indirect injection across every untrusted input path, including RAG and…
- AI Agent Penetration Testing — Penetration testing for autonomous AI agents — tool-use abuse, goal hijacking, privilege escalation and sandbox escape…
- LLM Application Penetration Testing — LLM application penetration testing — the full stack around your model: prompts, plugins, APIs, output handling…
Frequently asked questions
What is RAG poisoning?
Injecting malicious content into the documents or vector store a model retrieves from, so that a later query pulls attacker-controlled instructions into the model's context.
Do you test our vector database access controls?
Yes. A common finding is that retrieval bypasses application-level permissions, letting users reach data they shouldn't see.
Which vector stores do you support?
Pinecone, Weaviate, pgvector, Milvus, Elasticsearch and most common stores — the attack techniques are broadly portable.
Which vector databases do you support?
Pinecone, Weaviate, pgvector, Milvus, Qdrant, Elasticsearch and most common stores — the underlying attack techniques are broadly portable across them.
Can you test whether retrieval leaks other tenants' data?
Yes. Cross-tenant retrieval leakage is one of the most common and most serious RAG findings, and we test for it explicitly with multi-tenant scenarios.
Can users retrieve documents they shouldn't through RAG?
Frequently, yes — retrieval often bypasses application-level permissions, and this cross-user leakage is one of the most common high-severity RAG findings we report.
How much does a RAG security assessment cost?
Pricing depends on the pipeline complexity and data sources in scope. Contact hi@agentoffense.com for a scoped, fixed-price quote.
Do you test with our real data or synthetic data?
We can use sanitized production data or representative synthetic data, depending on your data-handling requirements, always under a signed NDA.
How long does a RAG assessment take?
Usually one to two weeks depending on pipeline complexity, data sources and the number of tenants or roles in scope.