MITRE ATLAS 2026.09 / technique reference
AML.T0016.004
AI Agent Tools
MITRE source definition
Adversaries may search for and obtain tools extend the capabilities of an AI agent. These capabilities may allow an agent to interact with operating systems, browsers, networks, cloud services, data stores, software repositories, identity systems, or other external resources.
AI agent tools may be distributed as Model Context Protocol servers, plugins, skills, connectors, function libraries, computer-use adapters, execution brokers, remote APIs, or similar integrations. Adversaries may obtain legitimate tools and configure them for malicious use, acquire modified or purpose-built tools, or combine multiple integrations into an operational toolset.
Agent tools may expose model-visible descriptions and executable interfaces that influence which capabilities an agent selects and how it invokes them. Obtaining these tools may give an agent access to resources, credentials, or actions that are unavailable through model inference alone.
Source modified 2026-08-31. Reproduced from the pinned ATLAS release; inline technique links resolve to local reference pages.
Parent, sub-techniques and ATT&CK references
Source-backed defensive context
MITRE mitigations
No explicit relationship in this pinned source.
MITRE case studies
These are explicit source relationships, not independently reproduced incidents or validated detection coverage.
Simulation and telemetry boundary
This is a technique reference page, not a runnable simulation. No ATLAS-specific telemetry mapping, local attack execution or detector validation is asserted. MITRE maturity describes its source evidence, not a 1200km lab result.
For broader context—not technique-specific control mappings—see AI Security, AI Security Course, and detection-validation methodology.
Provenance and attribution
Immutable MITRE ATLAS source · Import provenance · Attribution and transformation notice · Apache License 2.0
Copyright 2021-2026 MITRE. Source text and explicit relationships are retained; navigation, formatting and local links are provided by 1200km.
No explicit relationship in this pinned source.