Typosquatting

Category: Supply Chain & Dependencies
Severity: Medium
MITRE ATT&CK Mapping: T1036 (Masquerading)

Description

Malicious MCP servers with names similar to legitimate ones to deceive users, enabling attackers to trick users into installing malicious packages through name confusion.

Technical Details

Attack Vector

  • Similar package names
  • Typo-based naming
  • Character substitution
  • Domain/namespace confusion

Common Techniques

  • Character substitution
  • Letter omission/addition
  • Character transposition
  • Similar-looking characters

Impact

  • Accidental Installation: Users install malicious packages by mistake
  • System Compromise: Malicious code execution through typosquatted packages
  • Trust Exploitation: Abuse of trust in legitimate package names
  • Ecosystem Pollution: Confusion in package ecosystem

Detection Methods

Name Analysis

  • Analyze package names for similarities
  • Detect typosquatting patterns
  • Monitor package registrations
  • Track naming conflicts

Installation Monitoring

  • Monitor package installations
  • Track package usage patterns
  • Detect suspicious installations
  • Analyze installation sources

Mitigation Strategies

Name Protection

  • Reserve similar package names
  • Implement name validation
  • Monitor package registrations
  • Deploy name similarity detection

User Education

  • Educate users about typosquatting
  • Provide package verification guidance
  • Implement installation warnings
  • Monitor installation patterns

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Character Substitution

Legitimate: "mcp-database-connector"
Typosquatted: "mcp-database-conecter" (n → c)
Typosquatted: "mcp-databse-connector" (as → bs)

Example 2: Similar Characters

Legitimate: "mcp-file-manager"
Typosquatted: "mcp-fi1e-manager" (l → 1)
Typosquatted: "mcp-file-manag3r" (e → 3)

Example 3: Domain Confusion

Legitimate: "github.com/mcp-tools/file-reader"
Typosquatted: "github.com/mcp-t00ls/file-reader" (o → 0)
Typosquatted: "github.com/mcp-tools/file-readr" (e missing)

References & Sources

  • Palo Alto Networks - “Model Context Protocol (MCP): A Security Overview”

Typosquatting attacks exploit human error and trust to trick users into installing malicious packages with similar names to legitimate ones.