Gateway MCP Server
About
A gateway server that intelligently routes MCP requests to multiple backend servers.
Details
- License
- MIT license
Explore
- Routes MCP requests to multiple backend servers through a single gateway
- Exposes only 2 routing tools, bypassing client-side tool limits
- Experimental security with taint tracking and cross-backend isolation
- Docker-based deployment and automatic backend process management
- Supports environment variable substitution in backend configurations
- Works alongside other MCP servers in the same Claude Desktop setup
Setting up with Highlight
This MCP is not yet compatible with Highlight’s one-click setup. However, you can still use it with Highlight by following these steps:
- Download and install Highlight from highlightai.com/download
- Navigate to the plugins tab and select "Add Custom Plugin"
-
Configure the plugin with the settings below
Plugin Name
Gateway MCP ServerCommand (node, npx, python, etc.)Please refer to the README for specific instructions on how to obtain API keys or other required environment variables.
- Enable "Start Automatically" if you want the plugin to start when Highlight launches
From the repository
Then configure Claude Desktop as shown in the Installation section.
1. Clone this repository:
git clone https://github.com/delexw/mcpware.git
cd mcpware
2. Configure your backends in config.json (see Configuration section below)
3. Set up your environment variables:
The gateway needs access to the Docker socket to launch backend containers. The mount path differs by platform:
Why is Docker socket access required?
mcpware acts as a process manager that launches backend MCP servers. When a backend is configured to run as a Docker container (e.g., ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server), mcpware needs to:
- Create and start Docker containers
- Manage their lifecycle (stop/restart)
- Communicate with them via stdio
Without Docker socket access, mcpware cannot launch Docker-based backends and will fail with permission errors.
Run this script to check your Docker configuration:
python scripts/check_docker_socket.py
1. Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/delexw/mcpware.git
cd mcpware
2. Create a virtual environment (recommended):
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
3. Install development dependencies:
pip install -r requirements.txt
black src/ tests/ gateway_server.py
isort src/ tests/ gateway_server.py
flake8 src/ tests/ gateway_server.py --max-line-length=120
docker run -it --rm \
-v /path/to/your/config.json:/app/config.json:ro \
-v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
-e GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN \
mcpware
The gateway supports environment variable substitution in backend configurations. Set these in your .env file:
backend_server
Name of the backend server
server_tool
Name of the tool to call
tool_arguments
Arguments to pass to the tool
backend_name
(Optional) Specific backend to query
- Challenge: MCP clients often have limits on how many tools can be loaded at once
- Solution: mcpware exposes only 2 routing tools while providing access to unlimited backend tools
- Result: Connect to GitHub (50+ tools), databases, and more through a single gateway!
Routes a tool call to a specific backend server.
Parameters:
- backend_server: Name of the backend server
- server_tool: Name of the tool to call
- tool_arguments: Arguments to pass to the tool
Example:
{
"backend_server": "github",
"server_tool": "create_issue",
"tool_arguments": {
"owner": "myorg",
"repo": "myrepo",
"title": "New issue",
"body": "Issue description"
}
}
Discovers available backends and their tools.
Parameters:
- backend_name: (Optional) Specific backend to query
- Use security_status tool to monitor session security
- Configure policies in config.json (see config.example.json for full options)
- Automatic taint tracking after suspicious activity
Claude Desktop / Cursor
Paste into your MCP client config file to install this server.
{
"mcpServers": {
"gateway mcp server": {
"mcpware": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"build",
"-t",
"mcpware",
"."
]
}
}
}
}McpServers
{
"mcpware": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"build",
"-t",
"mcpware",
"."
]
}
}mcpware
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Route MCP requests intelligently to multiple backend servers with comprehensive security validation.
🎯 Key Features
🚀 Bypass Tool Limits
- Challenge: MCP clients often have limits on how many tools can be loaded at once - Solution: mcpware exposes only 2 routing tools while providing access to unlimited backend tools - Result: Connect to GitHub (50+ tools), databases, and more through a single gateway!🔒 Built-in Security 🧪 (Experimental)
- Prevents cross-backend data leakage (e.g., database → GitHub) - Blocks SQL injection and sensitive data exposure - Taint tracking stops all access after suspicious activity - Mandatory security classification for each backend (public/internal/sensitive) - Opt In/Out Security Check from config.json🔧 Additional Benefits
- Single entry point for multiple MCP servers - Automatic process management for backend servers - Docker-based isolation and deploymentQuick Start
```bash
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