Grades are a hygiene check, not a security guarantee.

MCP, MCP server

Footnote Mcp

Search, extract data, and verify every claim against the source page.

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 1979caca373e, unchanged since the check below.

INSTALL_UNPINNED NETWORK_NO_FIXED_HOST SECRETS_PATH_DOTENV PERMISSION_SHELL_DECLARED 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 2 mcp>=1.26.0,<2

  • NETWORK_NO_FIXED_HOST Low

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

    scripts/ddg_scraper.py, line 304 response = requests.get(

  • SECRETS_PATH_DOTENV Low

    Mentions a .env file.

    run-mcp.sh, line 2 # Launch footnote-mcp for Cursor with project .env loaded.

  • PERMISSION_SHELL_DECLARED Note

    Runs shell commands, and the manifest or description says so.

    src/footnote_mcp/tools_data/sandbox.py, line 265 completed = subprocess.run(

  • SECRETS_ENV_READ Note

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

    src/footnote_mcp/http_server.py, line 46 owner_key = os.environ.get("FOOTNOTE_MCP_API_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

    Note

    requests shell access. The manifest names this permission.

    PERMISSION_SHELL_DECLARED

    src/footnote_mcp/tools_data/sandbox.py, line 265

    completed = subprocess.run(

  • Install and update

    Concern

    dependencies are not pinned.

    INSTALL_UNPINNED

    requirements.txt, line 2

    mcp>=1.26.0,<2

  • Network

    Concern

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

    NETWORK_NO_FIXED_HOST

    scripts/ddg_scraper.py, line 304

    response = requests.get(

    src/footnote_mcp/fetch.py, line 71

    resp = http.get(

    src/footnote_mcp/scraper.py, line 252

    resp = http.get(

    Show more

    src/footnote_mcp/scraper.py, line 332

    def fetch(url, lang="en", http_fn=None, allow_browser=None, allow_proxy=None, allow_external=None):

    src/footnote_mcp/search.py, line 1062

    resp = http.get(

    src/footnote_mcp/search.py, line 1084

    resp = http.get(

    src/footnote_mcp/search.py, line 1105

    resp = http.get(

  • Secrets

    Concern

    reads a credential or environment file.

    SECRETS_ENV_READ SECRETS_PATH_DOTENV

    run-mcp.sh, line 2

    # Launch footnote-mcp for Cursor with project .env loaded.

    run-mcp.sh, line 5

    if [[ -f .env ]]; then

    src/footnote_mcp/http_server.py, line 46

    owner_key = os.environ.get("FOOTNOTE_MCP_API_KEY")

    Show more

    run-mcp.sh, line 8

    source .env

    src/footnote_mcp/http_server.py, line 51

    raw_user_keys = os.environ.get("FOOTNOTE_MCP_API_KEYS", "{}")

    src/footnote_mcp/scraper.py, line 234

    key = os.getenv("FIRECRAWL_API_KEY")

    src/footnote_mcp/scraper.py, line 249

    key = os.getenv("SCRAPINGBEE_API_KEY")

    src/footnote_mcp/search.py, line 1034

    key = os.getenv("TAVILY_API_KEY")

    src/footnote_mcp/search.py, line 1055

    key = os.getenv("BRAVE_API_KEY")

    src/footnote_mcp/search.py, line 1076

    key = os.getenv("GOOGLE_API_KEY")

    src/footnote_mcp/search.py, line 1157

    "tavily": bool(os.getenv("TAVILY_API_KEY")),

    .dockerignore, line 2

    .venv/

    .dockerignore, line 3

    .env

    .env.example, line 2

    # Copy this file to `.env` for local use, or paste selected variables into your

    .gitignore, line 8

    debug_ddg.html

    .gitignore, line 9

    .env

  • 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

  • Licence

    Pass

    A licence file is present (LICENSE).

  • Maintainer activity

    Pass

    The latest commit is within the last 365 days.

Get the full report on this tool, £49

Note

Hygiene check of commit 1979caca373e. requests shell access. The manifest names this permission. 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: 1979caca373e859527c9ea7495c9fb22c76d8f00

This link goes to the original host. PlugVet does not host or check what you download from there, and installing it is your own decision and risk.

Read how this letter is chosen