Security Issue: Missing Authentication Framework

Priority: CRITICAL

CVE Impact: High - Authentication bypass vulnerabilities
Security Risk: Complete system compromise possible

Problem Description

The current MCP server lacks a comprehensive authentication framework, creating multiple security vulnerabilities:

1. No session management - No proper session handling or token validation
2. Missing authorization controls - No role-based access control (RBAC)
3. Credential exposure - Service keys and tokens exposed in tool responses
4. No audit trails - No logging of authentication events

Current Vulnerabilities

• Authentication bypass through header manipulation
• Privilege escalation via role switching
• Token manipulation and validation bypass
• Session hijacking potential
• Confused deputy attacks via token passthrough

Required Implementation

1. Authentication Middleware

• Implement JWT token validation
• Add session management with secure session IDs
• Implement token refresh mechanisms
• Add token audience validation (RFC 8707)

2. Authorization Framework

• Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Add operation-specific permissions
• Implement principle of least privilege
• Add human-in-the-loop controls for critical operations

3. Credential Security

• Implement credential masking in responses
• Add secure credential storage
• Implement credential rotation mechanisms
• Add credential validation and sanitization

4. Session Security

• Implement non-deterministic session IDs
• Add session binding to user information
• Implement session timeout and cleanup
• Add concurrent session limits

Acceptance Criteria

• All authentication bypass tests pass
• Credentials are properly masked in tool responses
• Session management is secure and isolated
• Role-based permissions are enforced
• Audit logging captures all authentication events
• JWT tokens are properly validated
• No privilege escalation vulnerabilities
• Token audience separation is implemented

Testing Requirements

• Run authentication security test suite
• Validate against OWASP Authentication Testing Guide
• Test with malicious token manipulation
• Verify session isolation between clients
• Test privilege escalation prevention
• Validate credential masking effectiveness

Implementation Steps

1. Phase 1: Core authentication middleware
2. Phase 2: Authorization framework and RBAC
3. Phase 3: Credential security hardening
4. Phase 4: Session management implementation
5. Phase 5: Audit logging integration

Security Dependencies

• Must be implemented before SQL injection fixes
• Required for all other security improvements
• Affects all tools that handle sensitive data

Files to Modify

• src/index.ts - Add authentication middleware
• src/client/index.ts - Implement secure client initialization
• src/tools/types.ts - Add authentication context
• src/tools/\* - Add authorization checks to all tools
• New: src/auth/ - Authentication framework modules

Testing Commands

# Run authentication security tests
npm run test:security -- authentication.test.ts

# Run full security test suite
npm run test:security

# Test with Docker environment
npm run setup:test-env && npm run test:security

References

• MCP June 2025 Security Specification
• OWASP Authentication Testing Guide
• RFC 8707 - OAuth 2.0 Resource Indicators

Severity Justification

This is marked as CRITICAL because:

• Authentication is the foundation of all security
• Current vulnerabilities allow complete system compromise
• Required for MCP June 2025 specification compliance
• Affects all other security implementations