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:

  • Tracking Earth Aughisky’s Malware and Changes

    October 4, 2022

    For security researchers and analysts monitoring advanced persistent threat (APT) groups’ attacks and tools, Earth Aughisky (also known as Taidoor) is among the more active units that consistently make security teams vigilant. Over the last decade, the group has continued to make adjustments in the tools and malware deployments on specific targets located in Taiwan ...

  • Developer account body snatchers pose risks to the software supply chain

    October 4, 2022

    Software supply chain attacks, once the exclusive province of sophisticated state-sponsored attackers, have been gaining popularity recently among a broader range of cyber criminals. Attackers everywhere have realized that software supply chain attacks can be very effective, and can result in a large number of compromised victims. Software supply chain attacks more than tripled in ...

  • CISA Releases Five Industrial Control Systems Advisories

    October 4, 2022

    CISA has released five (5) Industrial Control Systems (ICS) advisories on October 04, 2022. These advisories provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits surrounding ICS. CISA encourages users and administrators to review the newly released ICS advisory for technical details and mitigations: ICSA-22-277-01 Johnson Controls Metasys ADX Server ICSA-22-277-02 Hitachi Energy Modular Switchgear Monitoring ICSA-22-277-03 Horner ...

  • Moody’s turns up the heat on ‘riskiest’ sectors for cyberattacks

    October 3, 2022

    About $22 trillion of global debt rated by Moody’s Investors Service has “high,” or “very high” cyber-risk exposure, with electric, gas and water utilities, as well as hospitals, among the sectors facing the highest risk of cyberattacks. That’s more than one-quarter (28 percent) of the $80 trillion in Moody’s rated debt across 71 global sectors, and ...

  • Microsoft Exchange server zero-day mitigation can be bypassed

    October 3, 2022

    Microsoft has shared mitigations for two new Microsoft Exchange zero-day vulnerabilities tracked as CVE-2022-41040 and CVE-2022-41082, but researchers warn that the mitigation for on-premise servers is far from enough. Threat actors are already chaining both of these zero-day bugs in active attacks to breach Microsoft Exchange servers and achieve remote code execution. Both security flaws were reported ...

  • Ransomware gang leaks data stolen from LAUSD school system

    October 3, 2022

    Thousands of files apparently stolen last month in a ransomware attack on the Los Angeles Unified School District were released on the dark web over the weekend. The threat has been a major concern for the nation’s second-largest school district since Labor Day Weekend, when a cyber intrusion forced school district officials to take the extraordinary ...