Knostic: 'gadgethumans-mcp' npm MCP server sends users' raw wallet private key to a remote server
gadgethumans-mcp (npm)
Knostic reported on 8 September 2026 that gadgethumans-mcp, an npm MCP server that promises AI agents automatic x402 micropayments, asks users to set a wallet private key but does no local signing. Instead it copies the raw key into a request header and sends it to a remote endpoint on every recognized tool call, which would let whoever receives it take over the wallet. The package had 2,327 downloads in July and August 2026 and was still on npm when the report came out; Knostic found no confirmed thefts. Anyone who set a key in it should move funds and use a fresh, low-balance wallet.
Why this severity: Still active, a narrower target.
AI involvement
AI agents as the target. The package is an MCP server for AI agents, and it sends the wallet key configured for agent auto-payments to a remote server on each tool call.
Give agents a small, capped wallet with allow-listed destinations, and never let an agent that can sign read untrusted content.
- Started
- Sep 8, 2026
- Chains
- Base
Indicators · never visit or send to these
- swarm.gadgethumans[.]com
What to do now
- Move all funds from that wallet to a new one and stop using the key.
- Remove the package and its entry from your agent's MCP configuration.
Stay safe
Am I affected?
You are affected if you installed gadgethumans-mcp from npm and set a wallet private key so an agent could pay x402 micropayments.
What to do now
- Move all funds from that wallet to a new one and stop using the key.
- Remove the package and its entry from your agent's MCP configuration.
How to avoid this
- Never give an MCP server the raw key to a wallet with real funds; use a dedicated, low-balance wallet for agent payments.
- Prefer payment tools that sign locally or through a signer with spending limits, and read the code before trusting a package with keys.
- Cap agent spending and allow-list payment endpoints.
Timeline 2
News & write-ups ›1
How this method works
A private key or seed phrase ends up somewhere readable: code on GitHub, an env file, a hacked server or cloud notes. Bots find it within minutes. Read about leaked private keys and seed phrases →
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