MCP security

MCP tools can mutate memory, so treat writes as privileged.

Read-only mode

The server supports a global readOnly option that blocks all write tools.

const server = createTekMemoMcpProtocolServer({
  runtime,
  readOnly: true, // Blocks all write tools
});

From the CLI:

# Block all write tools
tekmemo-mcp --read-only

# Allow write tools (default)
tekmemo-mcp --allow-writes

Set the TEKMEMO_MCP_READ_ONLY environment variable to true to enable read-only mode without CLI flags.

Authorization callback

The authorize callback lets you control which operations each client can perform. It is called before every tool execution.

import { createTekMemoMcpProtocolServer } from "@tekbreed/tekmemo-mcp-server";

const server = createTekMemoMcpProtocolServer({
  runtime,
  authorize: async (context) => {
    if (context.safety === "read") return true;
    return await userApprovedWrite();
  },
});

AuthorizationContext

Field	Type	Description
operation	string	The tool or operation name (e.g. "tekmemo.remember")
safety	"read" / "write"	Safety classification of the operation
workspaceId	string	Optional workspace ID from the request
arguments	unknown	Raw tool arguments

When authorize returns false, the server returns an authorization error and the operation is not executed.

Redact callback

The redact callback lets you sanitize sensitive values before they appear in tool responses or resource output.

const server = createTekMemoMcpProtocolServer({
  runtime,
  redact: (value, context) => {
    if (typeof value === "string" && value.startsWith("sk-")) {
      return "sk-...redacted";
    }
    return value;
  },
});

RedactContext

Field	Type	Description
operation	string	The operation that produced the value

Recommendations

• Use readOnly: true for untrusted clients.
• Require explicit approval for write operations in the authorize callback.
• Apply redact to filter API keys, tokens, or other secrets from responses.
• Use scoped TekMemo Cloud API keys with minimal permissions.
• Prefer local mode for repository-only context.
• Prefer cloud mode for hosted team memory.