Secure MCP Filesystem Server

:bookmark: About

MCP Filesystem Server provides secure filesystem access for AI models through the Model Context Protocol. It enforces strict path validation and only allows access to predefined directories.

:computer: Technologies

• TypeScript
• Node.js
• MCP SDK
• Zod
• Docker
• pnpm

:wrench: Tools

• Visual Studio Code
• ESLint
• Prettier
• Vitest
• Docker Compose

:package: Installation

:heavy_check_mark: Prerequisites

The following software must be installed:

• Node.js (>=18.0.0)
• Git
• pnpm (>=8.0.0)
• Docker (optional)
• Docker Compose (optional)

:arrow_down: Cloning the repository

  $ git clone https://github.com/gabrielmaialva33/mcp-filesystem.git
  $ cd mcp-filesystem

:arrow_forward: Running the application

Local Development

  # Install dependencies
  $ pnpm install

  # Build the application
  $ pnpm build

  # Run the server (specify directory to allow access to)
  $ pnpm start /path/to/allowed/directory

  # Or use configuration file
  $ pnpm start --config=config.json

Using NPM Package

  # Install globally
  $ npm install -g @gabrielmaialva33/mcp-filesystem

  # Run the server
  $ mcp-filesystem /path/to/allowed/directory

  # Or use with npx (no installation needed)
  $ npx @gabrielmaialva33/mcp-filesystem /path/to/allowed/directory

  # Create a sample configuration file
  $ npx @gabrielmaialva33/mcp-filesystem --create-config=config.json

Using Docker

  # Build the Docker image
  $ docker build -t gabrielmaialva33/mcp-filesystem .

  # Run using Docker
  $ docker run -i --rm -v /path/to/data:/data:ro gabrielmaialva33/mcp-filesystem /data

  # Use with config file
  $ docker run -i --rm -v /path/to/config.json:/app/config.json -v /path/to/data:/data gabrielmaialva33/mcp-filesystem --config=/app/config.json

Using Docker Compose

  # Create a data directory
  $ mkdir -p data

  # Start the server
  $ docker-compose up -d

:gear: Usage

Using with Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop can be configured to use this MCP server for filesystem access. Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

Using Local Installation (Recommended)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "mcp-filesystem",
      "args": [
        "/Users/gabrielmaia/Documents",
        "/Users/gabrielmaia/Desktop",
        "/Users/gabrielmaia/Downloads"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Make sure to make the executable available globally:

# Make the binary executable
chmod +x /Users/gabrielmaia/.nvm/versions/node/v22.14.0/bin/mcp-filesystem

Using NPX

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@gabrielmaialva33/mcp-filesystem",
        "/Users/username/Desktop",
        "/path/to/other/allowed/dir"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Using Docker

Note: When using Docker, all directories must be mounted to /projects by default. Adding the ro flag will make the directory read-only.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "--mount",
        "type=bind,src=/Users/username/Desktop,dst=/projects/Desktop",
        "--mount",
        "type=bind,src=/path/to/other/allowed/dir,dst=/projects/other/allowed/dir,ro",
        "--mount",
        "type=bind,src=/path/to/file.txt,dst=/projects/path/to/file.txt",
        "gabrielmaialva33/mcp-filesystem",
        "/projects"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

The MCP Filesystem Server provides these tools:

File System Operations

• read_file: Read a file's content
• read_multiple_files: Read multiple files at once
• write_file: Create or overwrite a file
• edit_file: Make precise edits with diff preview
• create_directory: Create directories recursively
• list_directory: List directory contents
• directory_tree: Get a recursive tree view
• move_file: Move or rename files
• search_files: Find files matching patterns
• get_file_info: Get file metadata
• list_allowed_directories: See accessible directories

System & Network Operations

• get_metrics: View server performance metrics (v0.3.0+)
• execute_command: Execute system commands securely (v0.3.1+)
• curl_request: Execute HTTP requests to external APIs (coming in v1.2.0)

Using curl_request Tool (Coming in v1.2.0)

The curl_request tool will allow you to make HTTP requests to external APIs:

// Example: Making a GET request with authentication
curl_request({
  url: 'https://api.example.com/data',
  method: 'GET',
  headers: {
    Authorization: 'Bearer your_token_here',
  },
})

// Example: POST request with JSON data
curl_request({
  url: 'https://api.example.com/create',
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
  data: '{"name":"Example","value":123}',
})

See the docs/curl-tool-examples.md file for more detailed examples.

:sparkles: Features

Core Features

• Secure Access: Strict path validation prevents unauthorized access
• File Operations: Read, write, edit, and move files
• Directory Operations: Create, list, get tree views, and search directories
• Metadata Access: View file and directory information
• Command Execution: Securely execute system commands with strict validation
• Docker Support: Easy deployment with Docker and Docker Compose

New Features in v0.3.0

• Structured Logging: Detailed logging with different levels (debug, info, warn, error)
• Performance Metrics: Track operation counts, errors, and execution times
• Configuration Management: Support for JSON configuration files
• Path Caching: Improved performance for frequently accessed paths
• Improved Error Handling: Specialized error types with structured information
• File Size Validation: Prevent loading excessively large files
• CLI Improvements: Help command, version info, and config generation

Configuration Options

You can create a configuration file using:

$ mcp-filesystem --create-config=config.json

Example configuration:

{
  "allowedDirectories": ["/path/to/allowed/dir1", "/path/to/allowed/dir2"],
  "logLevel": "info",
  "logFile": "/path/to/logs/mcp-filesystem.log",
  "serverName": "secure-filesystem-server",
  "serverVersion": "0.3.0",
  "cache": {
    "enabled": true,
    "maxSize": 1000,
    "ttlMs": 60000
  },
  "metrics": {
    "enabled": true,
    "reportIntervalMs": 60000
  },
  "security": {
    "maxFileSize": 10485760,
    "allowSymlinks": true,
    "validateRealPath": true
  }
}

:writing_hand: Author

Gabriel Maia

License

MIT License