MCP Security Testing Guide

OWASP MCP Security Testing Guide

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that lets LLM applications connect to external data sources, tools, prompts, workflows, and services. This guide treats MCP as a security boundary: the chain from the user, through the model and MCP client, to the MCP server, the connected tool, and the target system.

It is a living collection of MCP security knowledge for developers, AppSec, red teams, and SOC teams. It covers threats, secure development, host and client controls, supply chain, enterprise gateways, detection, incident response, taxonomy, public incidents, case studies, and review checklists. Host and client controls are in Chapter 3.

This work is licensed under GPL-3.0.

Chapters

Read the guide in this order. Chapter 3 holds the threat write-ups and 80 tests in sections 3.1–3.19.

1. Project Overview
2. MCP Fundamentals
3. MCP Threats and Attack Patterns
4. Secure MCP Development
5. MCP Security Taxonomy
6. Hacks, News, and Public Incidents
7. Appendix A — Glossary
8. Appendix B — Suggested Reading
9. Appendix C — Security Review
10. Appendix D — Safe Lab Fixtures
11. Appendix F — Testing Tools

Do not use it to test systems without explicit written authorization. Use synthetic lab environments and placeholders or try this MCP Goat

Related OWASP projects

• OWASP MCP Top 10

Appendix E is unused so the Appendix D and Appendix F links already used by the Chapter 3 tests stay stable. Report a finding with the finding template and Appendix C.