tech
A fake AI agent skill passed every security scanner and reportedly reached 26,000 agents
Security firm AIR got a fake skill past every major scanner and says it reached 26,000 agents by swapping an external URL after the scan cleared.
TL;DR
- AIR built a fake AI agent skill and successfully passed all tested security scanners.
- The skill reached roughly 26,000 agents by exploiting a trust signal (GitHub stars) and a clean scanner verdict.
- The exploit involved initially linking to legitimate documentation and then rewriting the external URL after the skill was approved and installed.
- This technique allows attackers to bypass scanners that only analyze the submitted package and not the dynamically loaded external content.
- The problem is structural, as the scan is a one-time event, while the external URL can be rewritten at any time.
- Security teams are advised to treat skills as software, vet external links, control new skills, re-check them when changes occur, and implement least privilege.