Back to Catalog
Owasp Agentic AI
top10_2026
ASI02 - Tool Misuse & Exploitation
Agent manipulated into using legitimate tools in unsafe or unintended ways.
Intent & Description
'
🎯 Intent
Prevent agents from being tricked into abusing their legitimate tool access for malicious purposes.
📋 Context
Agents with tool access can be manipulated to use those tools for data exfiltration, unauthorized modifications, or other harmful actions while appearing to operate normally.
💡 Solution
Implement strict tool usage policies. Validate tool call parameters. Apply rate limiting on tool invocations. Monitor tool usage patterns. Use allowlists for tool operations. Require confirmation for destructive actions.'
Real-world Use Case
Use when agents have access to file systems, APIs, databases, or any tools that can affect real-world systems.
📌 TL;DR
Prevent tool abuse. Validate parameters, rate-limit invocations, monitor usage patterns, confirm destructive actions.
Advantages
- Prevents data exfiltration via tools
- Limits tool abuse surface
- Enables usage auditing
- Supports safe tool integration
Disadvantages
- Restrictive policies may limit functionality
- Parameter validation complexity
- Legitimate edge cases may be blocked