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Security: CursorTouch/Windows-MCP

Security

SECURITY.md

Security Policy

Overview

Windows-MCP provides powerful automation capabilities that interact directly with your Windows operating system. This document outlines security considerations, best practices, and our commitment to maintaining a secure project.

⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING

READ THIS BEFORE DEPLOYING WINDOWS-MCP

Direct Operating System Interaction

Windows-MCP is NOT a sandboxed or isolated tool. It interacts directly with your actual Windows operating system on behalf of the connected LLM agent. This means:

  • Real System Actions: Every tool call executes real actions on your physical or virtual Windows machine
  • No Safety Net: There is no intermediate layer, simulation, or preview mode
  • User Permissions: The MCP server operates on behalf of the user running it

Irreversible and Destructive Changes

Many operations performed by Windows-MCP CANNOT BE UNDONE:

  • File Deletions: Files deleted through PowerShell or UI interactions may be permanently lost
  • Data Overwrites: Text typed with clear=True replaces existing content without recovery options
  • System Modifications: PowerShell commands can modify registry, services, and system configurations
  • Application Actions: Clicking "Delete", "Yes", or "Confirm" buttons has real consequences
  • No Undo/Rollback: Unlike text editors or IDEs, most Windows operations don't have an undo feature

Where NOT to Deploy

DO NOT deploy Windows-MCP on systems where you cannot tolerate the risk of:

  • ❌ Accidental data loss or corruption
  • ❌ Unintended system configuration changes
  • ❌ Exposure of sensitive information through screenshots
  • ❌ Execution of malicious commands if the LLM is compromised
  • ❌ Compliance violations in regulated environments

Specifically, NEVER deploy on:

  • Production servers or workstations
  • Systems containing irreplaceable data
  • Machines with access to sensitive databases or networks
  • Compliance-regulated environments (healthcare, finance, government)
  • Shared systems or multi-user environments without explicit consent
  • Any system you don't fully control and can't afford to lose

Recommended Safe Deployment

For safer experimentation and usage, strongly consider deploying Windows-MCP in:

Virtual Machines (VMs)

  • Use VMware, VirtualBox, Hyper-V, or similar virtualization platforms
  • Take snapshots before each session for easy rollback
  • Isolate the VM from production networks
  • Limit VM access to non-sensitive resources only

Sandboxed Environments

  • Windows Sandbox (built into Windows 10/11 Pro/Enterprise)
  • Containerized Windows environments
  • Dedicated test machines with no production data
  • Isolated network segments with restricted access

Dedicated Test Systems

  • Separate physical machines used only for testing
  • Systems with regular backups and disaster recovery plans
  • Machines that can be wiped and rebuilt without consequence

Impact Limitation Strategies

If you must use Windows-MCP on a regular system:

  1. Create a Dedicated User Account: Run the MCP server under a restricted user account with minimal permissions
  2. Regular Backups: Maintain frequent, verified backups of all important data
  3. Network Isolation: Disconnect from production networks or use firewall rules
  4. Supervised Operation: Always monitor the agent's actions in real-time
  5. Disable High-Risk Tools: Remove or restrict access to Shell and other destructive tools
  6. Test First: Thoroughly test workflows in a safe environment before production use

Security Considerations

System Access Level

Windows-MCP operates with the same permissions as the user running it. This means:

  • Full System Access: The MCP server can perform any action that the current user can perform
  • No Sandboxing: Tools execute directly on your Windows system without isolation
  • Persistent Changes: Actions taken by the MCP server can permanently modify your system state

Tool-Specific Security Implications

Based on our tool annotations, here's the security profile of each tool:

High-Risk Tools (Potentially Destructive)

These tools can make permanent changes to your system:

Tool Risk Description
Shell Critical Can execute arbitrary PowerShell commands, including system modifications, file deletions, and network operations
Click High Can trigger destructive UI actions (delete confirmations, system dialogs)
Type High Can overwrite text, potentially destroying data when clear=True
Drag High Can move/reorganize files, potentially overwriting existing files
Shortcut High Can execute destructive keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+D delete, Alt+F4 close)

Medium-Risk Tools (Modifying but Non-Destructive)

These tools modify system state but are generally safe:

Tool Risk Description
App Medium Launches/manages applications but doesn't modify data
Scroll Low Only changes viewport position
Move Low Only positions mouse cursor

Low-Risk Tools (Read-Only)

These tools only read information without making changes:

Tool Risk Description
Snapshot Safe Only captures desktop state and screenshots
Wait Safe Only pauses execution
Scrape Safe* Fetches web content (*may expose browsing activity)

Best Practices

1. Run with Least Privilege

  • Use a standard user account, not an administrator account, when possible
  • Avoid running Windows-MCP with elevated privileges unless absolutely necessary
  • Consider creating a dedicated user account for automation tasks

2. Trusted LLM Clients Only

  • Only connect Windows-MCP to trusted MCP clients
  • Be cautious when using with third-party or experimental LLM applications
  • Review the client application's security practices before integration

3. Monitor Tool Usage

  • Regularly review logs to understand what actions are being performed
  • Be especially vigilant with high-risk tools (Shell, Click, etc.)
  • Set up alerts for unexpected or suspicious activity

4. Network Security

  • When using SSE or HTTP transport modes, ensure proper network isolation
  • Use localhost binding (127.0.0.1) instead of 0.0.0.0 when possible
  • Implement firewall rules to restrict access to the MCP server ports
  • Never expose the MCP server directly to the internet without proper authentication

5. Data Protection

  • Be aware that Snapshot captures screenshots that may contain sensitive information
  • Scrape may fetch content from untrusted websites
  • Avoid using Windows-MCP in environments with highly sensitive data
  • Consider disabling screenshot functionality (use_vision=False) when handling confidential information

6. Code Review

  • Review the source code before deployment in production environments
  • Audit any custom extensions or modifications
  • Keep dependencies up to date to patch known vulnerabilities

7. Backup and Recovery

  • Maintain regular backups before using automation tools
  • Test automation workflows in a safe environment first
  • Have a recovery plan in case of unintended system changes

Deployment Recommendations

Recommended Use Cases

  • Personal productivity automation on your own machine
  • Development and testing environments
  • QA automation in isolated test systems
  • Controlled demonstrations with supervision

Use with Caution

  • Shared workstations or multi-user systems
  • Systems with access to production data
  • Environments with compliance requirements (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, etc.)
  • Automated workflows without human oversight

Not Recommended

  • Production servers or critical infrastructure
  • Systems handling highly sensitive data (financial, medical, personal)
  • Public-facing systems or kiosks
  • Environments where destructive actions cannot be tolerated
  • Systems without proper backups

Vulnerability Reporting

We take security vulnerabilities seriously. If you discover a security issue, please follow responsible disclosure practices:

How to Report

DO NOT open a public GitHub issue for security vulnerabilities.

Instead, please report security issues via:

  1. Email: Send details to the project maintainers at jeogeoalukka@gmail.com
  2. GitHub Security Advisories: Use the GitHub Security Advisory feature (preferred)

What to Include

Please provide:

  • Description of the vulnerability
  • Steps to reproduce the issue
  • Potential impact assessment
  • Suggested fix (if available)
  • Your contact information for follow-up

Response Timeline

  • Initial Response: Within 48 hours
  • Status Update: Within 7 days
  • Fix Timeline: Depends on severity (critical issues prioritized)

We will acknowledge your contribution in the security advisory and release notes (unless you prefer to remain anonymous).

Security Updates

Staying Informed

Update Policy

  • Security patches will be released as soon as possible
  • Critical vulnerabilities will be addressed within 7 days
  • Users will be notified via GitHub releases and community channels

Dependency Security

Windows-MCP relies on several third-party libraries. We:

  • Regularly update dependencies to patch known vulnerabilities
  • Monitor security advisories for our dependencies
  • Use uv for reproducible dependency management

Key Dependencies

  • PyAutoGUI: Mouse and keyboard automation
  • UIAutomation: Windows UI interaction
  • FastMCP: MCP server framework
  • httpx: HTTP client for web scraping

Compliance and Auditing

Logging

Windows-MCP does not implement comprehensive audit logging by default. For compliance-sensitive environments, consider:

  • Implementing custom logging middleware
  • Using Windows Event Logging for system-level auditing
  • Monitoring file system and registry changes

Telemetry and Data Privacy

  • Windows-MCP collects anonymous usage data to help improve the MCP server.
  • We collect:
    • Tool execution status (success/failure)
    • Execution duration
    • Tool name
    • Client name and version (e.g., Claude Desktop, etc.)
    • Anonymized session IDs
  • We DO NOT collect:
    • Tool arguments (text typed, coordinates, file paths, etc.)
    • Tool outputs (screenshots, commands results, page content, etc.)
    • Personal Information (IP addresses are not stored, no user identifiers beyond a random UUID)
  • Telemetry is enabled by default but can be disabled by setting the ANONYMIZED_TELEMETRY environment variable to false in the MCP server configuration.
  • Windows-MCP processes commands locally on your machine.
  • Screenshots and state captures remain on your local system.
  • Web scraping may expose browsing activity to target websites.

Tool Annotations Reference

All tools include security-relevant annotations:

  • readOnlyHint: true if the tool only reads data
  • destructiveHint: true if the tool may perform destructive updates
  • idempotentHint: true if repeated calls have no additional effect
  • openWorldHint: true if the tool interacts with external entities

Refer to main.py for complete tool annotations.

Disclaimer

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK

Windows-MCP is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. The maintainers are not responsible for:

  • Data loss or system damage caused by tool usage
  • Security breaches resulting from improper configuration
  • Actions performed by LLM agents using this MCP server
  • Compliance violations in regulated environments

Users are solely responsible for:

  • Ensuring appropriate use in their environment
  • Implementing necessary security controls
  • Complying with applicable laws and regulations
  • Monitoring and auditing tool usage

License

This security policy is part of the Windows-MCP project, licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

There aren’t any published security advisories