Shiny tools, shallow checks: how the AI hype opens the door to malicious MCP servers


In this article, Kaspersky researchers explore how the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — the new “plug-in bus” for AI assistants — can be weaponized as a supply chain foothold.

The researchers start with a primer on MCP, map out protocol-level and supply chain attack paths, then walk through a hands-on proof of concept: a seemingly legitimate MCP server that harvests sensitive data every time a developer runs a tool. Then they break down the source code to reveal the server’s true intent and provide a set of mitigations for defenders to spot and stop similar threats.

Read more…
Source: Kaspersky


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • Alpha Ransomware Emerges From NetWalker Ashes

    February 16, 2024

    Alpha, a new ransomware that first appeared in February 2023 and stepped up its operations in recent weeks, has strong similarities to the long-defunct NetWalker ransomware, which disappeared in January 2021 following an international law enforcement operation. The NetWalker Connection Analysis of Alpha reveals significant similarities with the old NetWalker ransomware. Both threats use a similar ...

  • Microsoft Exchange vulnerability actively exploited

    February 16, 2024

    As it turns out, there was another actively exploited vulnerability included in Microsoft’s patch Tuesday updates for February. When Microsoft said in its update guide for CVE-2024-21410 that the vulnerability was likely to be exploited by attackers, they weren’t kidding. Soon after they changed the status to “Exploitation Detected”. The Exchange vulnerability is listed in the ...

  • China: Foreign cyber spies attack information systems of key departments, enterprises, stealing sensitive data

    February 16, 2024

    China’s Ministry of State Security warned on Friday that in recent years, national security agencies have discovered that foreign cyber spies have continuously attacked the information systems of key departments and enterprises within China, resulting in the theft of important sensitive data and posing a threat to China’s data security and cybersecurity. The ministry released an ...

  • Android/SpyNote Moves to Crypto Currencies

    February 15, 2024

    Like much Android malware today, this malware abuses the Accessibility API. This API is used to automatically perform UI actions. For example, the malicious sample uses the Accessibility API to record device unlocking gestures. Newer, this SpyNote sample uses the Accessibility API to target famous crypto wallets. Read more… Source: Fortinet  

  • Banks refund less than 10% of money stolen by cyber scammers – Bank of Russia’s Chief

    February 15, 2024

    Russian banks manage to refund less than 10% of the money cyber scammers steal from citizens’ accounts, head of the Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina, said at the Cybersecurity in Finance forum. “Of course, we see that the share of refunds to people who were victims of cyber fraud has increased. But the exact figures – ...

  • BMW security lapse exposed sensitive company information, researcher finds

    February 14, 2024

    A misconfigured cloud storage server belonging to automotive giant BMW exposed sensitive company information, including private keys and internal data, TechCrunch has learned. Can Yoleri, a security researcher at threat intelligence company SOCRadar, told TechCrunch that he discovered the exposed BMW cloud storage server while routinely scanning the internet. Read more… Source: TechCrunch