[012]Worth trackingAI coding tools · extensions / Skills / MCPEnterprise security / free open source / acquisitionData as of 2026-11-08
The downside: AI coding extensions / MCP security scanners are given away free by big companies, and individuals don't pay
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Don't build "scan extensions / Skills / MCP" as a product: scanners are free giveaways from platforms and big companiesIndividuals won't pay for scanning; enterprises want EDR, allowlisting, compliance certificates, and someone to answer the phone when something goes wrong. Only research-driven teams already selling enterprise security, or aiming to be acquired, are worth getting intoLong shot · grade and title derived from the full text · next review 11-16
| Background | 10-29 Cursor marketplace published a Claude Code extension with an SSH backdoor, live for 11 hours; HN 946 points |
|---|---|
| Upside | Every poisoning makes 'build a scanner' look like an opportunity. Three months, 87 similar Show HN posts, median 2 points |
| Demand | Users want platform signing and isolation. Enterprises want allowlists, EDR and short-lived credentials. Nobody has said they'd pay for scanning. |
| Competition | Open-source scanners from NVIDIA, Tencent, Snyk, and Cisco are all free; Open VSX, ClawHub, skills.sh, and the Anthropic directory each scan built-in |
| Revenue | Extensions / Skills / MCP scan: zero verified revenue on TrustMRR; the best of this security-tool niche tops out at $798/30 in a day |
| Growth | What actually drove volume: the first technical analysis (Phorion) and a security research byline (Koi). The only company visibly running paid ads in the public ad library is Comp AI, selling compliance (Meta ad library). |
| Window | No window: each event only brings a few days of stars, and the stars never turn into money. Zero-Breach went from 4,000 stars in a week to +107 on a daily basis. |
| Who it's for | Teams already selling EDR / MDM / compliance turn it into a feature. Also teams with research chops aiming to get acquired. |