defense arXiv Oct 30, 2025 · Oct 2025
Yifeng Cai, Ziming Wang, Zhaomeng Deng et al. · Peking University · Huazhong University of Science and Technology +1 more
Defends mobile AI agents against indirect instruction injection using dynamic, task-scoped minimal permissions via runtime access control
Prompt Injection Excessive Agency nlpmultimodal
AI agents capable of GUI understanding and Model Context Protocol are increasingly deployed to automate mobile tasks. However, their reliance on over-privileged, static permissions creates a critical vulnerability: instruction injection. Malicious instructions, embedded in otherwise benign content like emails, can hijack the agent to perform unauthorized actions. We present AgentSentry, a lightweight runtime task-centric access control framework that enforces dynamic, task-scoped permissions. Instead of granting broad, persistent permissions, AgentSentry dynamically generates and enforces minimal, temporary policies aligned with the user's specific task (e.g., register for an app), revoking them upon completion. We demonstrate that AgentSentry successfully prevents an instruction injection attack, where an agent is tricked into forwarding private emails, while allowing the legitimate task to complete. Our approach highlights the urgent need for intent-aligned security models to safely govern the next generation of autonomous agents.
llm vlm multimodal Peking University · Huazhong University of Science and Technology · University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign