FEAT: Adding descriptions to Techniques (microsoft#2167)

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: rlundeen2

pyrit/scenario/core/attack_technique_factory.py

@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ def __init__(
         *,
         name: str,
         attack_class: type[AttackStrategy[Any, Any]],
+        description: str | None = None,
         technique_tags: list[str] | None = None,
         attack_kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
         adversarial_chat: PromptTarget | None = None,
@@ -90,6 +91,9 @@ def __init__(
             name: Registry name for this technique. This is used as the
                 scenario technique name.
             attack_class: The AttackStrategy subclass to instantiate.
+            description: Short human-readable summary of what the technique does.
+                Purely descriptive metadata — it does not affect the technique's
+                behavioral identity.
             technique_tags: Tags controlling which ``ScenarioTechnique``
                 aggregates include this technique (e.g. ``"single_turn"``,
                 ``"multi_turn"``, ``"default"``).
@@ -129,6 +133,7 @@ class constructor signature and seed-technique shape.
         """
         self._name = name
         self._attack_class = attack_class
+        self._description = description
         self._technique_tags = list(technique_tags) if technique_tags else []
         self._attack_kwargs = dict(attack_kwargs) if attack_kwargs else {}
         self._adversarial_chat = adversarial_chat
@@ -151,6 +156,7 @@ def with_simulated_conversation(
         *,
         name: str,
         attack_class: type[AttackStrategy[Any, Any]] | None = None,
+        description: str | None = None,
         adversarial_chat_system_prompt_path: str | Path | None = None,
         simulated_target_system_prompt_path: str | Path | None = None,
         next_message_system_prompt_path: str | Path | None = None,
@@ -175,6 +181,8 @@ def with_simulated_conversation(
                 ``EXECUTOR_SEED_PROMPT_PATH/red_teaming/{name}.yaml``.
             attack_class: The AttackStrategy subclass to instantiate. Defaults to
                 ``PromptSendingAttack``.
+            description: Short human-readable summary of what the technique does.
+                Forwarded to the factory constructor as descriptive metadata.
             adversarial_chat_system_prompt_path: Path to the YAML file containing
                 the adversarial chat system prompt for the simulated conversation.
                 Defaults to ``EXECUTOR_SEED_PROMPT_PATH/red_teaming/{name}.yaml``.
@@ -263,6 +271,7 @@ def with_simulated_conversation(
         return cls(
             name=name,
             attack_class=attack_class,
+            description=description,
             technique_tags=technique_tags,
             attack_kwargs=attack_kwargs,
             adversarial_chat=adversarial_chat,
@@ -359,6 +368,11 @@ def name(self) -> str:
         """The registry name for this technique."""
         return self._name
 
+    @property
+    def description(self) -> str | None:
+        """Short human-readable summary of what the technique does, or None."""
+        return self._description
+
     @property
     def technique_tags(self) -> list[str]:
         """Tags controlling which ``ScenarioTechnique`` aggregates include this technique."""

pyrit/setup/initializers/techniques/airt.py

@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ def get_technique_factories() -> list[AttackTechniqueFactory]:
         AttackTechniqueFactory(
             name="first_letter",
             attack_class=PromptSendingAttack,
+            description="Obfuscates the objective by asking for it encoded as the first letter of each word.",
             technique_tags=["single_turn", "airt", "leakage"],
             attack_kwargs={
                 "attack_converter_config": AttackConverterConfig(
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ def get_technique_factories() -> list[AttackTechniqueFactory]:
         AttackTechniqueFactory(
             name="image",
             attack_class=PromptSendingAttack,
+            description="Carries the objective text inside a blank image so it bypasses text-only input handling.",
             technique_tags=["single_turn", "airt", "leakage"],
             attack_kwargs={
                 "attack_converter_config": AttackConverterConfig(

pyrit/setup/initializers/techniques/core.py

@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ def get_technique_factories() -> list[AttackTechniqueFactory]:
     return [
         AttackTechniqueFactory.with_simulated_conversation(
             name="role_play_movie_script",
+            description="Frames the objective as a movie beat by casting the adversarial chat as a screenwriter.",
             adversarial_chat_system_prompt_path=(
                 EXECUTOR_SEED_PROMPT_PATH / "red_teaming" / "role_play" / "role_play_movie_script.yaml"
             ),
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ def get_technique_factories() -> list[AttackTechniqueFactory]:
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory.with_simulated_conversation(
             name="role_play_video_game",
+            description="Frames the objective as an in-game mechanic by casting the adversarial chat as a designer.",
             adversarial_chat_system_prompt_path=(
                 EXECUTOR_SEED_PROMPT_PATH / "red_teaming" / "role_play" / "role_play_video_game.yaml"
             ),
@@ -71,6 +73,7 @@ def get_technique_factories() -> list[AttackTechniqueFactory]:
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory.with_simulated_conversation(
             name="role_play_trivia_game",
+            description="Frames the objective as a quiz answer by casting the adversarial chat as a trivia host.",
             adversarial_chat_system_prompt_path=(
                 EXECUTOR_SEED_PROMPT_PATH / "red_teaming" / "role_play" / "role_play_trivia_game.yaml"
             ),
@@ -80,6 +83,7 @@ def get_technique_factories() -> list[AttackTechniqueFactory]:
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory.with_simulated_conversation(
             name="role_play_persuasion",
+            description="Frames a persuasion-resistance test so the target drafts a persuasive spoken script.",
             adversarial_chat_system_prompt_path=(
                 EXECUTOR_SEED_PROMPT_PATH / "red_teaming" / "role_play" / "role_play_persuasion.yaml"
             ),
@@ -89,6 +93,7 @@ def get_technique_factories() -> list[AttackTechniqueFactory]:
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory.with_simulated_conversation(
             name="role_play_persuasion_written",
+            description="Frames a persuasion-resistance test so the target drafts written persuasive material.",
             adversarial_chat_system_prompt_path=(
                 EXECUTOR_SEED_PROMPT_PATH / "red_teaming" / "role_play" / "role_play_persuasion_written.yaml"
             ),
@@ -99,36 +104,44 @@ def get_technique_factories() -> list[AttackTechniqueFactory]:
         AttackTechniqueFactory(
             name="many_shot",
             attack_class=ManyShotJailbreakAttack,
+            description="Primes the target with many fake example exchanges that model compliance before the ask.",
             technique_tags=["multi_turn", "light"],
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory(
             name="tap",
             attack_class=TreeOfAttacksWithPruningAttack,
+            description="Explores a tree of adversarial prompts, pruning weak branches to refine the attack.",
             technique_tags=["multi_turn"],
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory.with_simulated_conversation(
             name="crescendo_simulated",
+            description="Escalates gradually over a simulated conversation toward the objective.",
             technique_tags=["single_turn"],
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory.with_simulated_conversation(
             name="crescendo_movie_director",
+            description="Escalates gradually while posing as a movie director coaxing the target scene by scene.",
             technique_tags=["single_turn"],
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory.with_simulated_conversation(
             name="crescendo_history_lecture",
+            description="Escalates gradually while framing the ask as an academic history lecture.",
             technique_tags=["single_turn"],
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory.with_simulated_conversation(
             name="crescendo_journalist_interview",
+            description="Escalates gradually while posing as a journalist drawing the target out.",
             technique_tags=["single_turn"],
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory(
             name="red_teaming",
             attack_class=RedTeamingAttack,
+            description="Uses an adversarial chat model to converse with the target and adapt toward the objective.",
             technique_tags=["multi_turn", "light"],
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory.with_simulated_conversation(
             name="context_compliance",
+            description="Injects a fabricated prior exchange so the target continues as if it already agreed.",
             adversarial_chat_system_prompt_path=EXECUTOR_RED_TEAM_PATH
             / "context_compliance"
             / "context_compliance.yaml",
@@ -140,6 +153,7 @@ def get_technique_factories() -> list[AttackTechniqueFactory]:
         AttackTechniqueFactory(
             name="flip",
             attack_class=PromptSendingAttack,
+            description="Reverses the objective text so it slips past filters, then asks the target to flip it back.",
             technique_tags=["single_turn", "light"],
             attack_kwargs={
                 "attack_converter_config": AttackConverterConfig(

pyrit/setup/initializers/techniques/extra.py

@@ -26,11 +26,13 @@ def get_technique_factories() -> list[AttackTechniqueFactory]:
         AttackTechniqueFactory(
             name="pair",
             attack_class=PAIRAttack,
+            description="Runs the PAIR algorithm, using an adversarial model to iteratively rewrite jailbreak prompts.",
             technique_tags=["multi_turn"],
         ),
         AttackTechniqueFactory(
             name="violent_durian",
             attack_class=RedTeamingAttack,
+            description="Red-teams with a 'violent durian' persona role-playing a criminal mastermind.",
             technique_tags=["multi_turn"],
             attack_kwargs={"max_turns": 3},
             adversarial_system_prompt=SeedPrompt.from_yaml_file(EXECUTOR_RED_TEAM_PATH / "violent_durian.yaml"),

tests/unit/scenario/core/test_attack_technique_factory.py

@@ -70,6 +70,35 @@ def test_init_stores_seed_technique(self):
 
         assert factory.seed_technique is seeds
 
+    def test_init_description_defaults_to_none(self):
+        factory = AttackTechniqueFactory(name="test", attack_class=_StubAttack)
+
+        assert factory.description is None
+
+    def test_init_stores_description(self):
+        factory = AttackTechniqueFactory(
+            name="test",
+            attack_class=_StubAttack,
+            description="Does the thing.",
+        )
+
+        assert factory.description == "Does the thing."
+
+    def test_with_simulated_conversation_forwards_description(self):
+        factory = AttackTechniqueFactory.with_simulated_conversation(
+            name="crescendo_journalist_interview",
+            description="Staged as a journalist interview.",
+        )
+
+        assert factory.description == "Staged as a journalist interview."
+
+    def test_description_does_not_affect_identifier(self):
+        """Description is decorative metadata and must not change the behavioral identity hash."""
+        with_desc = AttackTechniqueFactory(name="test", attack_class=_StubAttack, description="Does the thing.")
+        without_desc = AttackTechniqueFactory(name="test", attack_class=_StubAttack)
+
+        assert with_desc.get_identifier().hash == without_desc.get_identifier().hash
+
     def test_validate_kwargs_accepts_valid_params(self):
         """All valid kwarg names should pass without error."""
         factory = AttackTechniqueFactory(