MCP Safety Audit: Gas Stoves with Manual Cooking Protocol Allow Major Burn Vulnerabilities
Executive Summary
Gas stoves, which operate under the legacy Manual Cooking Protocol (MCP), have been found to allow users to willingly place their hands on active burners, resulting in severe thermal compromise. Despite long-standing warnings, manufacturers continue to ship these devices with unrestricted flame access and no built-in user safety interlocks.
Key Findings
- No Authentication for Ignition: Any user, regardless of clearance or training, can initiate flame generation with a simple knob twist.
- Direct Contact Vulnerability: Users can directly touch the burner while it's active. No safeguards prevent this. Zero.
- Lack of User Behaviour Sandboxing: The system permits reckless multi-tasking, such as reaching over multiple lit burners to grab a spice jar.
- No Real-Time Alerting: Burn events are not logged, monitored, or alerted. Incident response relies on screaming.