secure-mcp-gateway
secure-mcp-gateway is a Python-based gateway that sits between an MCP client and one or more MCP servers. It authenticates MCP client connections, discovers and caches tools exposed by MCP servers, optionally restricts which tools may be invoked, and can enforce input/output “guardrails” (e.g., injection/toxicity/PII handling) before forwarding requests and after returning responses. It also provides an administrative REST API secured by a generated admin API key (described in README).
Score Breakdown
⚙ Agent Friendliness
🔒 Security
Strengths claimed/described include authentication for MCP client connections, admin_apikey generation, tool invocation restriction via allowlists, and input/output guardrails (including injection/toxicity/PII redaction and adherence/relevancy checks). The README does not provide detailed information about TLS enforcement details, key storage practices, scope granularity for API keys, rate limiting, or dependency vulnerability status.
⚡ Reliability
Best When
You want to mitigate common security issues from using MCP tools by adding authentication, tool allowlisting, guardrails, and caching at a single choke point between MCP clients and MCP servers.
Avoid When
You need guaranteed, documented support for complex failure recovery, idempotency guarantees, or you cannot tolerate potential latency added by guardrail checks and tool discovery/caching.
Use Cases
- • Proxying MCP servers through a single gateway endpoint for added security controls
- • Restricting tool exposure to an MCP client based on allowlists in gateway configuration
- • Applying guardrails to MCP tool inputs and outputs (PII redaction, injection/toxicity checks, policy checks)
- • Centralized logging and auditability of tool calls through the gateway
- • Caching discovered MCP tools and configuration to reduce repeated discovery overhead
Not For
- • Environments that cannot operate a long-running gateway process/service
- • Organizations requiring a fully offline setup with no external vendor dependencies (the guardrails flow references Enkrypt services)
- • Use cases needing a standardized REST/GraphQL API for business functionality beyond the described administrative endpoints
Interface
Authentication
The README describes a unique gateway key for authenticating MCP client connections and a separately generated long admin API key for administrative REST API operations. It does not describe OAuth or explicit scope granularity for API keys.
Pricing
README suggests Enkrypt account creation for guardrails is free and no credit card is required; however, the README does not provide concrete pricing tiers/limits for guardrails usage within this package.
Agent Metadata
Known Gotchas
- ⚠ Tool discovery is dynamic and may involve caching; agents should be prepared for tool list changes when cache expires.
- ⚠ Guardrails can block requests/responses; agents may need to handle policy-block outcomes.
- ⚠ Gateway configuration and allowed-tools allowlisting must be correct; otherwise tool invocation may be restricted or fail.
Alternatives
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Scores are editorial opinions as of 2026-03-30.