Exposing Privacy Risks in Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Liu, Jiale, Zhang, Jiahao, Wang, Suhang
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Liu, Jiale
Zhang, Jiahao
Wang, Suhang
author_facet Liu, Jiale
Zhang, Jiahao
Wang, Suhang
contents Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is a powerful technique for enhancing Large Language Models (LLMs) with external, up-to-date knowledge. Graph RAG has emerged as an advanced paradigm that leverages graph-based knowledge structures to provide more coherent and contextually rich answers. However, the move from plain document retrieval to structured graph traversal introduces new, under-explored privacy risks. This paper investigates the data extraction vulnerabilities of the Graph RAG systems. We design and execute tailored data extraction attacks to probe their susceptibility to leaking both raw text and structured data, such as entities and their relationships. Our findings reveal a critical trade-off: while Graph RAG systems may reduce raw text leakage, they are significantly more vulnerable to the extraction of structured entity and relationship information. We also explore potential defense mechanisms to mitigate these novel attack surfaces. This work provides a foundational analysis of the unique privacy challenges in Graph RAG and offers insights for building more secure systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_17222
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Exposing Privacy Risks in Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation
Liu, Jiale
Zhang, Jiahao
Wang, Suhang
Cryptography and Security
Artificial Intelligence
Information Retrieval
Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is a powerful technique for enhancing Large Language Models (LLMs) with external, up-to-date knowledge. Graph RAG has emerged as an advanced paradigm that leverages graph-based knowledge structures to provide more coherent and contextually rich answers. However, the move from plain document retrieval to structured graph traversal introduces new, under-explored privacy risks. This paper investigates the data extraction vulnerabilities of the Graph RAG systems. We design and execute tailored data extraction attacks to probe their susceptibility to leaking both raw text and structured data, such as entities and their relationships. Our findings reveal a critical trade-off: while Graph RAG systems may reduce raw text leakage, they are significantly more vulnerable to the extraction of structured entity and relationship information. We also explore potential defense mechanisms to mitigate these novel attack surfaces. This work provides a foundational analysis of the unique privacy challenges in Graph RAG and offers insights for building more secure systems.
title Exposing Privacy Risks in Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation
topic Cryptography and Security
Artificial Intelligence
Information Retrieval
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.17222