Structural preflight
Checks known input shapes before a model call is considered.
Little Canary 0.3.3 · Python 3.9–3.12 · Apache-2.0 published-release licenseOpen source · inspectable boundary
Experimental prompt-injection sensing
Inspect untrusted input before an agent acts.
Little Canary sends untrusted language through structural checks and a powerless sacrificial model, then reports routing and inspection coverage separately.
$ python -m pip install "little-canary==0.3.3"
$ little-canary demo --replayRelease
v0.3.3
Published on PyPI
Runtime
Python 3.9–3.12
Apache-2.0 published-release license
Quick start
One command
Inspect the repository first
Scope
Bounded tool
Not a system-level guarantee
§ 01
The problem
Why this exists
Make the evidence boundary visible.
An authority-bearing agent can receive untrusted language before it is clear whether inspection took place. Little Canary separates routing disposition from inspection coverage so a degraded or unavailable check is not mistaken for a completed clean inspection.
§ 02
What it does
Powerless canary
Uses a sacrificial model with no application tools or authority.
Explicit coverage
Separates routing disposition from whether the enabled inspection layers ran.
Quick start
Start with the documented command.
Install the current package, then inspect its output and configuration before relying on it in an application or workflow.
$ python -m pip install "little-canary==0.3.3"
$ little-canary demo --replay§ 05
Related concepts
GLOSSARYBehavioral CanaryingA proposed approach that uses powerless behavioral probes to inspect untrusted input.GLOSSARYInspection coverageWhether the inspection layers required for a decision actually ran.GLOSSARYIndirect prompt injectionUntrusted text influences an agent through retrieved or embedded instructions rather than a direct user request.GLOSSARYSilent AI failure modeA plausible-looking output that hides a consequential error.
The boundary
Useful evidence is not a blanket guarantee.
Little Canary is an inbound risk sensor, not a security guarantee or agent runtime. It does not claim universal detection, formal security, or aggregate accuracy.
Compare it with the other open-source tools →Read the technical note →