Typosquatting

Category: Supply Chain & Dependencies
Severity: Medium

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.