MCP Server Vetting Template
Every MCP server is third-party code with tool access. Vetting is the dependency review for the agent era.
The template
1. Source: repo, author, stars, maintenance?
2. Permissions: does it ask for more than its job needs?
3. Paid calls: does any tool hit a paid endpoint?
4. Network: where does it send data?
5. Credentials: does it store keys it shouldn't?
6. Spend risk: worst-case monthly if it loops?
7. Decision: APPROVE (allowlist) / CONDITIONAL (caps) / REJECT.
FAQ
How deep should vetting go?
Proportional to access — a filesystem server gets more scrutiny than a weather tool.
What happens to rejected servers?
They're simply not allowed to spend — the allowlist is the enforcement.
Related
Stop the next $12,400 night.
One API call (or MCP tool) in front of every agent transaction — APPROVED, BLOCKED, or FLAGGED, deterministic, ~5 ms, fully logged.
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