Grades are a hygiene check, not a security guarantee.

MCP, MCP server

Alpaca Mcp Server

Alpaca’s official MCP Server lets you trade stocks, ETFs, crypto, and options, run data analysis, and build strategies in plain English directly from your favorite LLM tools and IDEs

Compatibility: Not stated.

Grade B

Minor issues only, no Medium or High. Worth a quick look at the findings below before installing.

Graded by PlugVetRubric v2

Not a guarantee. A hygiene check of the source at the commit shown, not a security audit.

Rescanned at commit 2a973a046607, unchanged since the check below.

INSTALL_UNPINNED NETWORK_NO_FIXED_HOST SECRETS_PATH_DOTENV SECRETS_ENV_READ OBFUSCATION_FILE_OVER_READ_CAP

Why this grade

  • INSTALL_UNPINNED Low

    Dependencies use a range or git URL with no lockfile.

    requirements.txt, line 1 alpaca-py

  • NETWORK_NO_FIXED_HOST Low

    Makes a network call whose host is not written as a fixed address.

    scripts/sync-specs.sh, line 4 curl -sL https://docs.alpaca.markets/openapi/trading-api.json -o "$SPECS_DIR/trading-api.json"

  • SECRETS_PATH_DOTENV Low

    Mentions a .env file.

    src/alpaca_mcp_server/server.py, line 122 """Prepend ``https://`` when the URL has no scheme (common .env misconfiguration)."""

  • SECRETS_ENV_READ Note

    Reads an environment variable whose name contains KEY, SECRET, TOKEN, PASSWORD or CREDENTIAL.

    src/alpaca_mcp_server/cli.py, line 54 if not os.environ.get("ALPACA_API_KEY") or not os.environ.get("ALPACA_SECRET_KEY"):

  • OBFUSCATION_FILE_OVER_READ_CAP Note

    A file was over the read cap and was not fully read.

    uv.lock, line 1 version = 1

Any High, or two or more Medium findings, give D. One Medium gives C. Low findings or a security Note give B. Each code names a finding behind the letter.

Grades are a hygiene check of the source at the commit shown, on the date checked, not a security audit or a guarantee. The free directory grades are automated. Before release, a PlugVet engineer reviews every paid report and any grade we hold back, including all F grades, against the source code and the evidence we quote.

What was checked

Plain notes from the hygiene checks.

  • Permissions

    Pass

    No shell or command execution found, and no extra permission was declared.

  • Install and update

    Concern

    dependencies are not pinned.

    INSTALL_UNPINNED

    requirements.txt, line 1

    alpaca-py

  • Network

    Concern

    can reach a host that is not written as a fixed address.

    NETWORK_NO_FIXED_HOST

    scripts/sync-specs.sh, line 4

    curl -sL https://docs.alpaca.markets/openapi/trading-api.json -o "$SPECS_DIR/trading-api.json"

    scripts/sync-specs.sh, line 5

    curl -sL https://docs.alpaca.markets/openapi/market-data-api.json -o "$SPECS_DIR/market-data-api.json"

    src/alpaca_mcp_server/specs/market-data-api.json, line 1

    {"components":{"headers":{"ratelimit_limit":{"description":"Request limit per minute.","example":100,"schema":{"type":"integer"}},"ratelimit_remaining":{"description":"Request limi

  • Secrets

    Concern

    reads a credential or environment file.

    SECRETS_ENV_READ SECRETS_PATH_DOTENV

    src/alpaca_mcp_server/cli.py, line 54

    if not os.environ.get("ALPACA_API_KEY") or not os.environ.get("ALPACA_SECRET_KEY"):

    src/alpaca_mcp_server/server.py, line 102

    key = os.environ.get("ALPACA_API_KEY", "")

    src/alpaca_mcp_server/server.py, line 122

    """Prepend ``https://`` when the URL has no scheme (common .env misconfiguration)."""

    Show more

    src/alpaca_mcp_server/server.py, line 103

    secret = os.environ.get("ALPACA_SECRET_KEY", "")

    .dockerignore, line 1

    .env

    .gitignore, line 1

    # Environment and secrets

    .gitignore, line 2

    .env

    README.md, line 51

    | **Configuration** | `.env` + `init` command | Env vars in MCP client config only |

    README.md, line 60

    1. **Do not reuse V1 config** - Treat V2 as a new server. Update your MCP client config with the new command/args; remove any `.env` or `init`-based setup.

    README.md, line 95

    Add the server to your MCP client config, then restart the client. No `init` command, no `.env` files - credentials are set in **one place only**.

  • Agent instructions

    Pass

    No instruction to ignore earlier instructions or to hide a step.

  • Obfuscation

    Note

    a file was over the read cap and was not fully read.

    OBFUSCATION_FILE_OVER_READ_CAP

    uv.lock, line 1

    version = 1

    src/alpaca_mcp_server/specs/trading-api.json, line 1

    {"components":{"examples":{"BracketOrderResponse":{"description":"A `bracket` order returned with its legs. The entry order and both legs share one `group_id`, and `group_role` ide

  • Licence

    Pass

    A licence file is present (LICENSE).

  • Maintainer activity

    Pass

    The latest commit is within the last 365 days.

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Note

Hygiene check of commit 2a973a046607. dependencies are not pinned. can reach a host that is not written as a fixed address. reads a credential or environment file. a file was over the read cap and was not fully read.

Date and source

Date checked:

View source

github.com

Commit graded: 2a973a046607c42742bf141184b71f1990fa1809

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