MCP Server Vetting Checklist
Purpose
This checklist is used by developers to evaluate third-party MCP servers prior to use. It supports lightweight security and governance review.
1. Basic Information
- MCP Server Name:
- Publisher / Organization:
- Describe the use case and business justification:
2. Risk Classification
Access Level
- Read-only
- Read/Write (non-critical systems)
- Production
- Sensitive
- Code Execution
Systems Accessed
- Local Filesystem
- Network Filesystem
- Databases
- Source Code (GitHub)
- SaaS APIs (Monday, Alation, etc.)
- Cloud Resources
- Other:
Sensitive Data Access
- Yes
- No
Details (if Yes):
3. Provenance & Transparency
- Source code is publicly available
- Repository URL:
- Repository is actively maintained (recent commits)
Project Type
- Official MCP server
- Community open source
Notes:
4. Authentication & Security
Supported Authentication Methods
- OAuth 2.1 / OIDC
- API Key
- None
Deployment Model
- Local (STDIO)
- Remote (HTTP/SSE)
Notes:
5. Architecture & Behavior
Isolation Capability (Can the server be containerized or sandboxed?)
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
Data Modification / Side Effects (Does the server create, modify, or delete data in external systems?)
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
Outbound Network Activity
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
(Does the server make outbound calls to external services?)
6. Observability & Controls
Logging / Audit
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
Log Storage Location
- Azure Monitor
- Splunk
- Databricks
- Other (Please specify):
Input Validation (Does the server validate structured inputs such as schemas?)
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
Rate Limiting / Safety Controls
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
7. Vulnerability & Project Health
Known Issues / Vulnerabilities
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
Details (if Yes):
Issue Tracker
- Link provided:
Review Metadata
Reviewer:
Date Reviewed:
Next Review Date: (One year from last date reviewed)