Leaky Language Models show token timing can expose architecture and optimizations
chaumian · x · 2026-07-24
Leaky Language Models show timing can expose architecture and inference optimizations
A new paper titled Leaky Language Models argues that per-token timing can leak enough information to infer a model’s architecture and some inference optimizations.
- The core idea is that response timing patterns are not just noise; they can reveal implementation details.
- That makes timing a potential side channel for model fingerprinting and inference about serving stacks.
- The work is framed as a security/privacy concern for LLM deployments, not just a performance curiosity.
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