mcp-k8s-server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides Kubernetes management tools to AI clients, enabling operations such as applying manifests (including server-side apply), dry-run validation, viewing/scaling workload resources, log streaming, port-forwarding, and multi-cluster context switching.

Evaluated Apr 04, 2026 (16d ago)
Repo ↗ Infrastructure mcp kubernetes k8s devops platform-engineering ai-agents helm kubectl port-forwarding rbac cloud-native
⚙ Agent Friendliness
44
/ 100
Can an agent use this?
🔒 Security
39
/ 100
Is it safe for agents?
⚡ Reliability
18
/ 100
Does it work consistently?

Score Breakdown

⚙ Agent Friendliness

MCP Quality
55
Documentation
50
Error Messages
0
Auth Simplicity
35
Rate Limits
10

🔒 Security

TLS Enforcement
30
Auth Strength
45
Scope Granularity
20
Dep. Hygiene
40
Secret Handling
60

The README makes a general claim to 'never expose secret values, only metadata' and mentions security-first posture, but provides no concrete details on transport security (TLS), authentication for MCP clients, RBAC scoping enforcement inside the server, audit logging configuration, or dependency/security posture. Kubernetes permissions provided via kubeconfig are a primary security boundary; if RBAC is overly broad, tool access can be high impact.

⚡ Reliability

Uptime/SLA
0
Version Stability
30
Breaking Changes
0
Error Recovery
40
AF Security Reliability

Best When

You have an MCP-capable AI client and a controlled environment where the server can safely execute Kubernetes API actions using a known kubeconfig/service account and scoped RBAC permissions.

Avoid When

You cannot restrict RBAC permissions and network access; or you need documented rate limits, strong auth, and concrete error/pagination/retry contracts for reliable agent automation.

Use Cases

  • AI-assisted Kubernetes operations (CRUD for Deployments/StatefulSets/DaemonSets/Pods)
  • Manifest validation via dry-run before applying changes
  • Server-side apply automation for safer updates
  • Troubleshooting via pod log streaming and event filtering
  • Operational support such as scaling and job/cronjob interactions
  • Port-forwarding/tunnel management to reach in-cluster services
  • Managing and switching between multiple Kubernetes clusters from one assistant session

Not For

  • Running as a public, internet-exposed service without strong network and authentication controls
  • Unrestricted cluster administration from untrusted/anonymous clients
  • High-assurance workflows requiring formally verified policy enforcement and audit guarantees (not evidenced in provided materials)

Interface

REST API
No
GraphQL
No
gRPC
No
MCP Server
Yes
SDK
No
Webhooks
No

Authentication

Methods: Kubeconfig path via KUBECONFIG_PATH (implied)
OAuth: No Scopes: No

The README only shows an example of passing KUBECONFIG_PATH to the server; it does not document an external auth mechanism for MCP clients (e.g., API key/OAuth), nor scope granularity for tool calls.

Pricing

Free tier: No
Requires CC: No

No pricing information provided (appears to be open-source/self-hosted).

Agent Metadata

Pagination
none
Idempotent
False
Retry Guidance
Not documented

Known Gotchas

  • Kubernetes operations can be destructive; tool calls that 'apply' arbitrary resources require strict RBAC and client-side validation.
  • Port-forwarding/tunneling requires careful session lifecycle handling (start/stop) to avoid lingering access.
  • Multi-cluster support increases risk of applying manifests to the wrong cluster context without strong safeguards.
  • Dry-run validation depends on kube-apiserver behavior and permissions; agents may misinterpret dry-run results if RBAC differs from real apply.

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Scores are editorial opinions as of 2026-04-04.

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