On MCP Ecosystem Vulnerabilities

Abstract

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that allows developers to create secure, two-way connections between data sources and AI-powered tools. The architecture, as stated by Anthropic, is simple: developers can either expose their data through MCP servers or build AI-powered applications (MCP clients) that connect to these servers. The protocol claims to be a new standard for connecting AI agents (AI agents or artificially intelligent agents) to data storage systems, including content repositories, business tools, and development environments. Agents, by their most basic definition, are some autonomous systems that use artificial intelligence techniques to achieve their goals. The goal of MCP is to help advanced models produce better, more relevant answers. MCP is intended to become the basis for the Internet of AI Agents. The protocol has quickly gained popularity due to its ease of use and the benefits it provides for using AI. At the same time, it should be said that MCP was developed primarily based on the ideas of functionality, not security. Its use creates new fundamental vulnerabilities and expands attack surfaces. This is where the risks of generative models of AI agents and the vulnerabilities of the MCP ecosystem software come together. This article is devoted to the vulnerabilities of the MCP ecosystem to cyberattacks. The work is a continuation of a series of publications devoted to the security of AI agents.