mcp-trust-guard
mcp-guard
KYA (Know Your Agent) security middleware for MCP servers. Abuse database, trust-based access control, rate limiting, and audit logging.
Zero dependencies. Works with any Node.js HTTP framework. Part of the KYA verification system.
Scan any MCP package for security issues: agentscores.xyz - type a package name, get instant results.
The Problem
MCP servers have no security layer. Any client can call any tool — there's no identity verification, no access control, no rate limiting, no audit trail. As AI agents begin calling MCP tools autonomously, this is a critical gap.
mcp-guard adds KYA verification to any MCP HTTP server — abuse database checks, trust-based access control, and audit logging in three lines of code.
Related MCP server: protect-mcp
Install
npm install mcp-trust-guardQuick Start
import express from 'express';
import { McpGuard } from 'mcp-trust-guard';
const guard = new McpGuard({
rules: [
{ minTrust: 0, tools: ['get_*', 'list_*', 'search_*'] },
{ minTrust: 30, tools: ['create_*', 'update_*'] },
{ minTrust: 60, tools: ['delete_*', 'admin_*'] },
],
rateLimit: { window: 60, max: 30 },
audit: true,
});
const app = express();
app.use(express.json());
app.use('/mcp', guard.middleware());
// ... your MCP server handlerEvery tools/call request is now verified against the caller's trust score. Read-only tools are open. Write tools need a score of 30+. Destructive tools need 60+.
How It Works
┌──────────────┐
Request ──→ Extract Identity ──→ Rate Limit ──→ │ Trust Check │ ──→ Rule Match ──→ Allow/Deny
(header) (per caller) │ (AgentScore) │ (tool pattern)
└──────────────┘Identity — Reads the caller's agent name from the
x-agent-nameheader (configurable)Rate Limit — Sliding window per caller. Rejects with JSON-RPC error if exceeded
Trust Check — Looks up the caller's trust score via AgentScore (5-min cache, fail-closed)
Rule Match — Matches the requested tool against your rules using glob patterns. First match wins
Allow/Deny — If the caller's score meets the rule's minimum, the request passes through. Otherwise, a JSON-RPC error is returned
Features
Trust-Based Access Control
Define tiered access based on trust scores:
const guard = new McpGuard({
rules: [
{ minTrust: 0, tools: ['read_*'] }, // Public — anyone can read
{ minTrust: 20, tools: ['query_*'] }, // Low bar — basic queries
{ minTrust: 40, tools: ['write_*'] }, // Verified agents only
{ minTrust: 70, tools: ['transfer_*'] }, // High trust — financial ops
],
defaultMinTrust: 10, // Tools not matching any rule require score >= 10
});Tool Name Patterns
Rules use glob patterns with * wildcards:
{ minTrust: 30, tools: ['create_*', 'update_*'] } // Matches create_user, update_record
{ minTrust: 60, tools: ['admin_*'] } // Matches admin_delete, admin_config
{ minTrust: 0, tools: ['get_status'] } // Exact match only
{ minTrust: 50, tools: ['*'] } // Catch-allRate Limiting
In-memory sliding window per caller:
const guard = new McpGuard({
rateLimit: {
window: 60, // 60-second window
max: 30, // 30 requests per window per caller
},
});Audit Logging
Console logging:
const guard = new McpGuard({ audit: true });
// [mcp-guard] ALLOW EmberFoundry → get_status (score: 42, band: MODERATE TRUST) score 42 >= 0 required for get_status
// [mcp-guard] DENY untrusted-bot → admin_delete (score: 3, band: UNVERIFIED) score 3 < 60 required for admin_deleteCustom audit handler:
const guard = new McpGuard({
audit: (entry) => {
db.insert('audit_log', entry);
if (!entry.allowed) alerting.notify(`Blocked ${entry.caller} from ${entry.tool}`);
},
});Direct Trust Checks
Use the guard programmatically without middleware:
const guard = new McpGuard();
const decision = await guard.check('EmberFoundry', 'transfer_funds');
// { allowed: false, reason: 'score 14 < 70 required for transfer_funds', caller: 'EmberFoundry', trustScore: 14, trustBand: 'UNVERIFIED' }Custom Trust Providers
Use any trust source — not just AgentScore:
import { McpGuard, TrustProvider, TrustResult } from 'mcp-trust-guard';
const myProvider: TrustProvider = {
async check(name: string): Promise<TrustResult> {
const score = await myDatabase.getAgentScore(name);
return { score, band: score > 50 ? 'TRUSTED' : 'UNTRUSTED', name };
},
};
const guard = new McpGuard({ provider: myProvider });Wrapping Any Handler
Not using Express? Wrap any request handler:
const protectedHandler = guard.wrap(mcpHandler);
http.createServer(protectedHandler).listen(3000);Configuration
Option | Type | Default | Description |
|
| AgentScore | Custom trust score provider |
|
|
| AgentScore API endpoint |
|
|
| Header containing caller identity |
|
|
| Access rules (first match wins) |
|
|
| Min trust when no rule matches |
|
| none | Rate limit config (seconds, count) |
|
|
| Trust cache TTL in ms (5 min) |
|
|
| Enable audit logging |
|
|
| Allow requests without identity |
Identifying Callers
By default, mcp-guard reads the caller's identity from the x-agent-name HTTP header. MCP clients should include this header when making requests:
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/mcp \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "x-agent-name: MyAgent" \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"get_data"}}'You can change the header name:
const guard = new McpGuard({ identityHeader: 'authorization' });Or use query parameters as a fallback — ?agent=MyAgent is checked automatically.
FAQ
What if the trust API is unreachable?
The agent gets a score of 0. Fail-closed by default. If your rules allow minTrust: 0 for some tools, those still work.
Does it work with stdio MCP servers?
No — stdio servers run locally and don't need network-level security. mcp-guard is for HTTP/SSE MCP servers that accept remote connections.
Does it modify the MCP request?
No. It only inspects tools/call requests. All other MCP methods (tools/list, resources/read, etc.) pass through untouched. When a request is allowed, it continues to your handler unchanged.
Can I use my own scoring system?
Yes. Implement the TrustProvider interface (one method: check(name) → { score, band, name }) and pass it in the config.
KYA Abuse Database (v0.2.0+)
Block agents that have been reported for abuse — data exfiltration, prompt injection, unauthorized access, and more. Community-driven, free, no API key.
const guard = new McpGuard({
abuseCheck: true, // Enable abuse database checks
abuseBlockLevel: 'CAUTION', // Block at MONITOR, CAUTION, or BLOCK level
rules: [
{ minTrust: 0, tools: ['get_*'] },
{ minTrust: 30, tools: ['write_*'] },
],
audit: true,
});When an agent with abuse reports tries to call a tool:
[mcp-guard] DENY bad-agent → write_file (score: -1, band: ABUSE_REPORTED)
agent reported in KYA abuse database: prompt_injection (1 reports, severity: high)Report abuse: POST https://agentscores.xyz/api/abuse/report
Check an agent: GET https://agentscores.xyz/api/abuse/check?agent=name
For standalone abuse checking without the full middleware, use kya-abuse-check.
Part of KYA (Know Your Agent)
mcp-trust-guard is the server-side component of KYA — real-time AI agent verification. Six checks: Deployer, Model, Code, Abuse, Permissions, Deployment. No platform registration required.
License
MIT
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