github / github/github-mcp-server

Enforce fail-closed startup when PAT/OAuth scope requirements are unmet

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Dominant language
Go
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Description

Problem
Insufficient scopes can lead to confusing partial functionality instead of explicit blocking.

Why now
Permission-scoped operation is a core safety expectation for the GitHub MCP server.

Current behavior is insufficient
Scope problems can surface late at tool-call time and appear as sporadic failures.

Expected behavior
At startup (or deterministic preflight), fail closed when required scope requirements for configured toolsets are unmet.

Acceptance criteria
- Deterministic scope validation result before normal operation.
- Explicit classification for scope/policy failures.
- Clear remediation guidance in machine-readable + human-readable error output.

Validation
- Add tests for scope-deficient and scope-sufficient configurations.
- Verify deterministic error class and output shape.

Codepaths
- `pkg/scopes`
- `pkg/http/oauth`
- `cmd/github-mcp-server`

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Assessment

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