Score-based assessment (medium risk, 65/100). Last analyst review covers version unknown.
Analysis record
- Analysed
- 6 months ago
- Version
- v1.0.3
- Artifact
- SHA256 4CD…F0F
- Source
- Findings (non-IoC)
Evidence ledger
Ranked by severity · findings with a source location link to the code viewer
YARA Rule Matches
8 rules| Severity | Rule | Hits | Files | Metadata |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIGH | credential env files Environment configuration file path detected | 6 | test/zotero-client.test.tssrc/index.tstest/translation-client.test.ts +3 more | Risky Plugins Authors FP 10% |
| HIGH | postinstall file download File download activity detected | 20 | dist/cache.d.tssrc/zotero-client.tsdist/tools/export.js +17 more | Risky Plugins Authors FP 30% |
| HIGH | postinstall registry modification Windows registry modification detected | 1 | docs/translation-server-deployment.md | Risky Plugins Authors FP 30% |
| HIGH | SQLInjection SQL queries often need to use a hardcoded SQL string with a dynamic parameter coming from a user request. Formatting a string to add those parameters to the request is a bad practice as it can result in an SQL injection. The safe way to add parameters to a SQL query is to use SQL binding mechanisms. For more information checkout the CWE-564 (https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/564.html) and OWASP A1:2017 (https://owasp.org/www-project-top-ten/2017/A1_2017-Injection.html) advisory. | 1 | test/zotero-client.test.ts | FP 10% |
| HIGH | postinstall file manipulation File system manipulation detected | 18 | dist/zotero-client.jsdist/tools/create.jsdist/cache.js +15 more | Risky Plugins Authors FP 20% |
| HIGH | postinstall network communication Network communication detected | 5 | src/index.tsdist/translation-client.jsdist/index.js +2 more | Risky Plugins Authors FP 30% |
| HIGH | postinstall system command System command execution detected | 2 | README.mddocs/translation-server-deployment.md | Risky Plugins Authors FP 10% |
| HIGH | postinstall environment access Environment variable access detected | 2 | test/translation-client.test.tstest/zotero-client.test.ts | Risky Plugins Authors FP 40% |
Finding Categories
YARA Rules Matched
8 rules(55 hits)MCP Server Analysis
MCP servers expose tools and resources to AI assistants. Unlike browser extensions, they run as standalone processes with direct system access. Tool definitions are analyzed for prompt injection, data exfiltration, and tool poisoning patterns.
AI Security Report
AI Security Review
Evidence context: threat category malware; evidence quality strong.
This package presents a critical security risk and should be treated as potentially malicious. The primary concern is the detection of 55 separate malware signatures, which is an exceptionally strong indicator of malicious intent or a compromised supply chain. While the package claims to be a Zotero MCP server for reference management, the presence of 57 IoCs and 14 network findings suggests behavior far exceeding standard reference library operations. The package has a user count of 0, reinforcing the suspicion that it may be a typosquatting attempt or a malicious upload targeting users searching for legitimate Zotero tools. Given the high volume of malware signatures and network indicators, this package likely contains harmful functionality such as data exfiltration or remote code execution. It is recommended to avoid installation entirely.
Key Reasons
- 55 malware signature detections detected in package contents
- 57 Indicators of Compromise (IoC) identified
- Zero user adoption despite claiming to be a utility tool
- 14 network activity indicators flagged
Reviewed 2026-04-13; recommended action: takedown request; model confidence 85%.
Source Code Not Available
Source code is not available for this version of the extension.
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