AI Development Pipeline MCP

# Security Guide - AI Development Pipeline MCP Integration This document outlines the security implementation, best practices, and recommendations for the AI Development Pipeline MCP Integration project. ## 🔒 **SECURITY OVERVIEW** ### **Security Layers Implemented** 1. **Local MCP Server Security** - Path traversal protection - Command execution whitelist - Workspace directory sandboxing - Output sanitization - Timeout and buffer limits 2. **Cloud MCP Server Security** - API key authentication - Rate limiting - Request validation - CORS configuration - Security logging 3. **Environment Security** - Sensitive data exclusion - Environment variable validation - Production/development mode detection ## 🛡️ **LOCAL MCP SERVER SECURITY** ### **Implemented Protections** #### **Path Traversal Prevention** ```typescript function validatePath(filePath: string): string { const resolvedPath = path.resolve(WORKSPACE_ROOT, filePath); if (!resolvedPath.startsWith(WORKSPACE_ROOT)) { throw new Error('Path traversal detected - access denied'); } return resolvedPath; } ``` #### **Command Execution Whitelist** - **Allowed commands:** npm, yarn, git, node, npx, tsc, eslint, prettier - **Blocked:** System commands, shell operators, arbitrary executables - **Timeout:** 30 seconds maximum execution time - **Buffer limit:** 1MB maximum output #### **File System Restrictions** - All file operations restricted to workspace directory - Sensitive files filtered from directory listings - No access to system files or parent directories ### **Security Limitations** ⚠️ **STDIO Transport Limitations:** - No built-in authentication mechanism - Relies on process-level security - Any process with stdio access can control the server ## 🌐 **CLOUD MCP SERVER SECURITY** ### **Authentication** #### **API Key Authentication** ```bash # Required header for all requests x-mcp-api-key: your_secure_api_key_here ``` #### **Generate Secure API Key** ```bash # Generate a secure 256-bit API key openssl rand -hex 32 ``` ### **Rate Limiting** - **Limit:** 100 requests per minute per client - **Identification:** IP-based with SHA-256 hashing - **Storage:** In-memory (use Redis for production scaling) ### **Request Validation** - JSON-RPC 2.0 protocol validation - Request body structure validation - Input sanitization and filtering ### **Security Headers** ```typescript 'Access-Control-Allow-Headers': 'Content-Type, Authorization, x-mcp-api-key' ``` ## 🔐 **CLAUDE AI INTEGRATION SECURITY** ### **Local MCP Server (stdio)** #### **Claude Desktop Configuration** ```json { "mcpServers": { "ai-development-pipeline": { "command": "npx", "args": ["ts-node", "/path/to/local-mcp-server.ts"], "env": {} } } } ``` **Security Notes:** - Stdio transport provides process-level isolation - Claude Desktop runs with user privileges - No network exposure (localhost only) - File system access limited to workspace ### **Cloud MCP Server (HTTP)** #### **Claude Configuration** ```json { "mcpServers": { "ai-development-pipeline-cloud": { "url": "https://your-app.vercel.app/api/mcp", "headers": { "x-mcp-api-key": "your_secure_api_key" } } } } ``` **Security Requirements:** - HTTPS only (TLS encryption) - Valid API key in headers - Rate limiting protection - Request/response logging ## 🚨 **SECURITY VULNERABILITIES & MITIGATIONS** ### **HIGH PRIORITY FIXES NEEDED** #### **1. Local MCP Server Authentication** **Issue:** No authentication mechanism for stdio transport **Mitigation:** - Run in isolated environment - Use dedicated user account with limited privileges - Monitor process access #### **2. Command Execution Risks** **Issue:** Even whitelisted commands can be dangerous **Mitigation:** - Further restrict command arguments - Implement command output filtering - Add execution logging #### **3. File System Access** **Issue:** Full workspace access may include sensitive files **Mitigation:** - Implement file type restrictions - Add content scanning for secrets - Create read-only mode option ### **MEDIUM PRIORITY IMPROVEMENTS** #### **1. Cloud MCP Scalability** **Issue:** In-memory rate limiting doesn't scale **Solution:** Implement Redis-based rate limiting #### **2. Audit Logging** **Issue:** Limited security event logging **Solution:** Implement comprehensive audit trail #### **3. Input Validation** **Issue:** Basic validation may miss edge cases **Solution:** Implement schema-based validation ## 🔧 **PRODUCTION SECURITY CHECKLIST** ### **Before Deployment** - [ ] Generate secure API keys (256-bit minimum) - [ ] Configure environment variables in Vercel - [ ] Enable HTTPS/TLS for all endpoints - [ ] Set up monitoring and alerting - [ ] Review and test rate limiting - [ ] Validate CORS configuration - [ ] Test authentication mechanisms - [ ] Verify error handling doesn't leak sensitive data ### **Environment Variables Security** ```bash # Required for production MCP_API_KEY=<secure-256-bit-key> NEXTAUTH_SECRET=<secure-nextauth-secret> # Optional but recommended NODE_ENV=production VERCEL_ENV=production ``` ### **Monitoring & Alerting** #### **Security Events to Monitor** - Failed authentication attempts - Rate limit violations - Path traversal attempts - Command execution failures - Unusual request patterns #### **Recommended Monitoring Tools** - Vercel Analytics - Sentry for error tracking - Custom security event logging - CloudFlare for DDoS protection ## 🛠️ **SECURITY BEST PRACTICES** ### **For Developers** 1. **Never commit secrets** to version control 2. **Use environment variables** for all sensitive data 3. **Validate all inputs** before processing 4. **Implement proper error handling** without information leakage 5. **Keep dependencies updated** for security patches ### **For Deployment** 1. **Use HTTPS only** for all communications 2. **Implement proper CORS** policies 3. **Set up rate limiting** and DDoS protection 4. **Monitor security events** and set up alerts 5. **Regular security audits** and penetration testing ### **For Claude Integration** 1. **Use secure API keys** for cloud endpoints 2. **Validate MCP server certificates** for HTTPS 3. **Monitor Claude's access patterns** for anomalies 4. **Implement session management** for long-running connections 5. **Regular key rotation** for production environments ## 📞 **SECURITY INCIDENT RESPONSE** ### **If You Suspect a Security Breach** 1. **Immediately rotate** all API keys and secrets 2. **Review logs** for suspicious activity 3. **Check file system** for unauthorized changes 4. **Update dependencies** to latest versions 5. **Report incidents** to relevant stakeholders ### **Contact Information** - **Security Issues:** Create a GitHub issue with "Security" label - **Urgent Security Matters:** Contact repository maintainers directly - **Vulnerability Reports:** Follow responsible disclosure practices --- **Remember:** Security is an ongoing process, not a one-time setup. Regularly review and update your security measures as the project evolves.