Record metadata
type: "Glossary term"
title: "Prompt injection"
description: "Malicious instructions hidden in tool descriptions or retrieved content."
tags: [glossary]
generated: { by: human:crpage, at: 2026-07-09T09:44:00Z }
aliases: "prompt injection; context injection; indirect injection"
status: stable
Definition
Malicious instructions smuggled via tool descriptions, retrieved content or untrusted annotations. MCP warns that tool descriptions should be treated as untrusted unless from a trusted server.
Used in this bundle
Appears in: failure-taxonomy, mcp.
least privilege.