# MladenSU/cli-mcp-server [Health: Active]

**Category:** 🤖 Coding Agents  
**Repository:** https://github.com/MladenSU/cli-mcp-server  
**GitHub Stars:** 178  
**npm Downloads (last month):** 36685  
**Views:** 3  
**Installs:** 0  
**Upvotes:** 0  
**Directory Page:** https://allmcps.com/mcp/mladensu-cli-mcp-server

## Description
Command line interface with secure execution and customizable security policies

## Claude Desktop Quick Installation
Install path detected from listing signals. Uses `npx` (confidence: high):

```json
"mcpServers": {
  "cli-mcp-server": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y","@smithery/cli"],
    "env": {
      "ALLOWED_DIR": "",
      "ALLOWED_COMMANDS": "",
      "ALLOWED_FLAGS": "",
      "MAX_COMMAND_LENGTH": "",
      "COMMAND_TIMEOUT": "",
      "ALLOW_SHELL_OPERATORS": ""
    }
  }
}
```

**Requires environment variables:** `ALLOWED_DIR`, `ALLOWED_COMMANDS`, `ALLOWED_FLAGS`, `MAX_COMMAND_LENGTH`, `COMMAND_TIMEOUT`, `ALLOW_SHELL_OPERATORS` — the values above are empty placeholders; fill in real credentials before running (see the repository for what each one is for).

## Documentation

## What MladenSU/cli-mcp-server MCP server does

MladenSU/cli-mcp-server MCP server exposes a restricted command-line interface through MCP. It is intended for setups where an AI application needs to inspect files, query directories, or run other approved commands without granting unrestricted shell access. The server applies policy checks before execution and limits operations to a configured base directory.

The project targets Python 3.10 or newer and is distributed under the MIT License. It communicates over stdio, making it suitable for local MCP clients such as Claude Desktop.

## How it works

The server reads its execution policy from environment variables. `ALLOWED_DIR` defines the directory boundary, while `ALLOWED_COMMANDS` and `ALLOWED_FLAGS` specify which commands and options may be used. Both allow the special value `all`, although using that value removes the corresponding whitelist restriction.

Each request is passed through validation before execution. Path normalization, traversal checks, and symlink resolution help keep file access within the permitted directory. Shell operators such as `&&`, pipes, and redirection are blocked by default and can be enabled explicitly with `ALLOW_SHELL_OPERATORS=true`.

Execution is also constrained by `MAX_COMMAND_LENGTH` and `COMMAND_TIMEOUT`. The default command length is 1024 characters and the default timeout is 30 seconds. Validation or execution failures are reported with specific error categories, including security, timeout, path, format, and command execution errors.

## Setup and configuration

MladenSU/cli-mcp-server MCP server can be launched from its published package with `uvx cli-mcp-server`, or from a checked-out repository using the documented `uv` command. A working configuration must provide `ALLOWED_DIR`; the other settings have defaults.

For Claude Desktop, add an MCP server entry that uses `uvx` with `cli-mcp-server` as its argument. Put the policy variables in that entry’s `env` object. A typical policy might allow `ls`, `cat`, and `pwd`, permit selected flags, retain the 1024-character limit, use a 30-second timeout, and leave shell operators disabled.

Developers working from source can synchronize dependencies with `uv sync` and build distributions with `uv build`. The repository also documents publishing through `uv publish`, which requires a PyPI token.

## Tools and capabilities

MladenSU/cli-mcp-server MCP server provides two documented tools:

- `run_command` accepts one command string, such as `ls -l` or `cat file.txt`, and executes it after policy validation.
- `show_security_rules` reports the active working directory, command and flag allowlists, maximum command length, and timeout.

The implementation supports asynchronous operations and returns detailed errors when requests violate the configured rules or when execution fails.

## Limitations and notes

This server does not provide unrestricted shell access by default. Commands and flags must be allowed, paths must remain under `ALLOWED_DIR`, and shell operators remain unavailable unless explicitly enabled. Setting either whitelist to `all` broadens access and should be evaluated against the intended security boundary.

The README documents Claude Desktop configuration but does not identify compatibility with other MCP clients. Because the server runs over stdio, client configuration must start the local process rather than connect to a hosted endpoint. The project recommends MCP Inspector for debugging stdio-based development configurations.

_Full upstream README: https://allmcps.com/mcp/mladensu-cli-mcp-server/readme_