ext-apps/examples/pdf-server/server.ts
Olivier Chafik 30f79b9e3f
ignore client roots by default in pdf-server (#510)
* security: ignore client roots by default in pdf-server

When the pdf-server is started with --stdio, MCP clients may advertise
roots that refer to directories on the *client's* file system. Because
the server resolves those paths locally, accepting them by default would
give the remote client access to arbitrary directories on the server's
machine.

This commit makes client roots opt-in via the --use-client-roots flag.
Without the flag, the server logs a notice and skips roots setup
entirely. The createServer() function now accepts a CreateServerOptions
object with a `useClientRoots` boolean (defaults to false).

https://claude.ai/code/session_014ohk5NMEPe8TBKpqp4ZRSw

* Enable client roots by default for HTTP, keep off for stdio

HTTP mode serves a local client so roots are safe. Stdio mode may
have a remote client whose roots would resolve against the server's
filesystem, so roots stay off unless --use-client-roots is passed.

https://claude.ai/code/session_014ohk5NMEPe8TBKpqp4ZRSw

* fix: correct transport-aware defaults for useClientRoots

stdio = local client (e.g. Claude Desktop) → auto-enable roots
HTTP = remote client → ignore roots unless --use-client-roots passed

The previous commit had the logic inverted.

https://claude.ai/code/session_014ohk5NMEPe8TBKpqp4ZRSw

* refactor: inline useClientRoots per transport branch

Remove the intermediate effectiveUseClientRoots variable — just pass
`true` in the stdio branch and the flag value in the HTTP branch.

https://claude.ai/code/session_014ohk5NMEPe8TBKpqp4ZRSw

* docs: update README to match transport-aware client roots defaults

Stdio always enables roots (client is local); HTTP ignores them by
default. The previous README text had these reversed.

https://claude.ai/code/session_014ohk5NMEPe8TBKpqp4ZRSw

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-02-28 00:42:11 +00:00

684 lines
21 KiB
TypeScript

/**
* PDF MCP Server
*
* An MCP server that displays PDFs in an interactive viewer.
* Supports local files and remote HTTPS URLs.
*
* Tools:
* - list_pdfs: List available PDFs
* - display_pdf: Show interactive PDF viewer
* - read_pdf_bytes: Stream PDF data in chunks (used by viewer)
*/
import { randomUUID } from "crypto";
import fs from "node:fs";
import path from "node:path";
import { McpServer } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js";
import type { Server } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/index.js";
import {
registerAppResource,
registerAppTool,
RESOURCE_MIME_TYPE,
} from "@modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/server";
import {
RootsListChangedNotificationSchema,
type CallToolResult,
type ReadResourceResult,
} from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/types.js";
import { z } from "zod";
// =============================================================================
// Configuration
// =============================================================================
export const DEFAULT_PDF = "https://arxiv.org/pdf/1706.03762"; // Attention Is All You Need
export const MAX_CHUNK_BYTES = 512 * 1024; // 512KB max per request
export const RESOURCE_URI = "ui://pdf-viewer/mcp-app.html";
/** Inactivity timeout: clear cache entry if not accessed for this long */
export const CACHE_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000; // 10 seconds
/** Max lifetime: clear cache entry after this time regardless of access */
export const CACHE_MAX_LIFETIME_MS = 60_000; // 60 seconds
/** Max size for cached PDFs (defensive limit to prevent memory exhaustion) */
export const CACHE_MAX_PDF_SIZE_BYTES = 50 * 1024 * 1024; // 50MB
/** Allowed local file paths (populated from CLI args) */
export const allowedLocalFiles = new Set<string>();
/** Allowed local directories (populated from MCP roots) */
export const allowedLocalDirs = new Set<string>();
// Works both from source (server.ts) and compiled (dist/server.js)
const DIST_DIR = import.meta.filename.endsWith(".ts")
? path.join(import.meta.dirname, "dist")
: import.meta.dirname;
// =============================================================================
// URL Validation & Normalization
// =============================================================================
export function isFileUrl(url: string): boolean {
return url.startsWith("file://") || url.startsWith("computer://");
}
export function isArxivUrl(url: string): boolean {
try {
const parsed = new URL(url);
return (
parsed.hostname === "arxiv.org" || parsed.hostname === "www.arxiv.org"
);
} catch {
return false;
}
}
export function normalizeArxivUrl(url: string): string {
// Convert arxiv abstract URLs to PDF URLs
// https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.03762 -> https://arxiv.org/pdf/1706.03762
return url.replace("/abs/", "/pdf/").replace(/\.pdf$/, "");
}
export function fileUrlToPath(fileUrl: string): string {
// Support both file:// and computer:// (used by some clients for local files)
return decodeURIComponent(fileUrl.replace(/^(?:file|computer):\/\//, ""));
}
export function pathToFileUrl(filePath: string): string {
const absolutePath = path.resolve(filePath);
return `file://${encodeURIComponent(absolutePath).replace(/%2F/g, "/")}`;
}
/**
* Check if `dir` is an ancestor of `filePath` using path.relative,
* which is more robust than string prefix matching (handles normalization).
*/
export function isAncestorDir(dir: string, filePath: string): boolean {
const rel = path.relative(dir, filePath);
// Must be non-empty (not the dir itself when checking files),
// must not start with ".." (escaping), and must not be absolute (different root).
return rel !== "" && !rel.startsWith("..") && !path.isAbsolute(rel);
}
/**
* Check if `url` looks like an absolute local file path (not a URL scheme).
* Handles Unix paths (/...), home-relative (~), and Windows drive letters (C:\...).
*/
function isLocalPath(url: string): boolean {
return (
url.startsWith("/") || url.startsWith("~") || /^[A-Za-z]:[/\\]/.test(url)
);
}
export function validateUrl(url: string): {
valid: boolean;
error?: string;
} {
if (isFileUrl(url) || isLocalPath(url)) {
// fileUrlToPath already decodes percent-encoding; for bare paths,
// decode here in case the client sends %20 for spaces etc.
const filePath = isFileUrl(url)
? fileUrlToPath(url)
: decodeURIComponent(url);
const resolved = path.resolve(filePath);
// Check exact match (CLI args / roots)
if (allowedLocalFiles.has(resolved)) {
if (!fs.existsSync(resolved)) {
return { valid: false, error: `File not found: ${resolved}` };
}
return { valid: true };
}
// Check directory match (MCP roots / CLI dirs).
// Try both the raw path and its realpath (resolves symlinks).
let realResolved: string | undefined;
try {
realResolved = fs.realpathSync(resolved);
} catch {
// File may not exist yet at this path
}
if (
[...allowedLocalDirs].some((dir) => {
let realDir: string | undefined;
try {
realDir = fs.realpathSync(dir);
} catch {
// Dir may not exist
}
return (
isAncestorDir(dir, resolved) ||
(realResolved != null && isAncestorDir(dir, realResolved)) ||
(realDir != null && isAncestorDir(realDir, resolved)) ||
(realDir != null &&
realResolved != null &&
isAncestorDir(realDir, realResolved))
);
})
) {
if (!fs.existsSync(resolved)) {
return { valid: false, error: `File not found: ${resolved}` };
}
return { valid: true };
}
console.error(
`[pdf-server] Local file not in allowed list: ${resolved}\n Allowed dirs: ${[...allowedLocalDirs].join(", ")}`,
);
return {
valid: false,
error: `Local file not in allowed list: ${resolved}\nAllowed directories: ${[...allowedLocalDirs].join(", ")}`,
};
}
// Remote URL - require HTTPS
try {
const parsed = new URL(url);
if (parsed.protocol !== "https:") {
return { valid: false, error: `Only HTTPS URLs are allowed: ${url}` };
}
return { valid: true };
} catch {
return { valid: false, error: `Invalid URL: ${url}` };
}
}
// =============================================================================
// Session-Local PDF Cache
// =============================================================================
/**
* Cache entry for remote PDFs from servers that don't support Range requests.
* Tracks both inactivity and max lifetime for automatic cleanup.
*/
interface CacheEntry {
/** The cached PDF data */
data: Uint8Array;
/** Timestamp when entry was created (for max lifetime) */
createdAt: number;
/** Timer that fires after CACHE_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT_MS of no access */
inactivityTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
/** Timer that fires after CACHE_MAX_LIFETIME_MS from creation */
maxLifetimeTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
}
/**
* Session-local PDF cache utilities.
* Each call to createPdfCache() creates an independent cache instance.
*/
export interface PdfCache {
/** Read a range of bytes from a PDF, using cache for servers without Range support */
readPdfRange(
url: string,
offset: number,
byteCount: number,
): Promise<{ data: Uint8Array; totalBytes: number }>;
/** Get current number of cached entries */
getCacheSize(): number;
/** Clear all cached entries and their timers */
clearCache(): void;
}
/**
* Creates a session-local PDF cache with automatic timeout-based cleanup.
*
* When a remote server returns HTTP 200 (full body) instead of 206 (partial),
* the full response is cached so subsequent chunk requests don't re-download.
*
* Entries are automatically cleared after:
* - CACHE_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT_MS of no access (resets on each access)
* - CACHE_MAX_LIFETIME_MS from creation (absolute timeout)
*/
export function createPdfCache(): PdfCache {
const cache = new Map<string, CacheEntry>();
/** Delete a cache entry and clear its timers */
function deleteCacheEntry(url: string): void {
const entry = cache.get(url);
if (entry) {
clearTimeout(entry.inactivityTimer);
clearTimeout(entry.maxLifetimeTimer);
cache.delete(url);
}
}
/** Get cached data and refresh the inactivity timer */
function getCacheEntry(url: string): Uint8Array | undefined {
const entry = cache.get(url);
if (!entry) return undefined;
// Refresh inactivity timer on access
clearTimeout(entry.inactivityTimer);
entry.inactivityTimer = setTimeout(() => {
deleteCacheEntry(url);
}, CACHE_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT_MS);
return entry.data;
}
/** Add data to cache with both inactivity and max lifetime timers */
function setCacheEntry(url: string, data: Uint8Array): void {
// Clear any existing entry first
deleteCacheEntry(url);
const entry: CacheEntry = {
data,
createdAt: Date.now(),
inactivityTimer: setTimeout(() => {
deleteCacheEntry(url);
}, CACHE_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT_MS),
maxLifetimeTimer: setTimeout(() => {
deleteCacheEntry(url);
}, CACHE_MAX_LIFETIME_MS),
};
cache.set(url, entry);
}
/** Slice a cached or freshly-fetched full body to the requested range. */
function sliceToChunk(
fullData: Uint8Array,
offset: number,
clampedByteCount: number,
): { data: Uint8Array; totalBytes: number } {
const totalBytes = fullData.length;
const start = Math.min(offset, totalBytes);
const end = Math.min(start + clampedByteCount, totalBytes);
return { data: fullData.slice(start, end), totalBytes };
}
async function readPdfRange(
url: string,
offset: number,
byteCount: number,
): Promise<{ data: Uint8Array; totalBytes: number }> {
const normalized = isArxivUrl(url) ? normalizeArxivUrl(url) : url;
const clampedByteCount = Math.min(byteCount, MAX_CHUNK_BYTES);
if (isFileUrl(normalized) || isLocalPath(normalized)) {
const filePath = isFileUrl(normalized)
? fileUrlToPath(normalized)
: decodeURIComponent(normalized);
const stats = await fs.promises.stat(filePath);
const totalBytes = stats.size;
// Clamp to file bounds
const start = Math.min(offset, totalBytes);
const end = Math.min(start + clampedByteCount, totalBytes);
if (start >= totalBytes) {
return { data: new Uint8Array(0), totalBytes };
}
// Read range from local file
const buffer = Buffer.alloc(end - start);
const fd = await fs.promises.open(filePath, "r");
try {
await fd.read(buffer, 0, end - start, start);
} finally {
await fd.close();
}
return { data: new Uint8Array(buffer), totalBytes };
}
// Serve from cache if we previously downloaded the full body
const cached = getCacheEntry(normalized);
if (cached) {
return sliceToChunk(cached, offset, clampedByteCount);
}
// Remote URL - try Range request, fall back to full GET if not supported
let response = await fetch(normalized, {
headers: {
Range: `bytes=${offset}-${offset + clampedByteCount - 1}`,
},
});
// If server doesn't support Range (501, 416, etc.), fall back to plain GET
if (!response.ok && response.status !== 206) {
response = await fetch(normalized);
if (!response.ok) {
throw new Error(
`Failed to fetch PDF: ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`,
);
}
}
// HTTP 200 means the server ignored our Range header and sent the full body.
// Cache it so subsequent chunk requests don't re-download, then slice.
if (response.status === 200) {
// Check Content-Length header first as a preliminary size check
const contentLength = response.headers.get("content-length");
if (contentLength) {
const declaredSize = parseInt(contentLength, 10);
if (declaredSize > CACHE_MAX_PDF_SIZE_BYTES) {
throw new Error(
`PDF too large to cache: ${declaredSize} bytes exceeds ${CACHE_MAX_PDF_SIZE_BYTES} byte limit`,
);
}
}
const fullData = new Uint8Array(await response.arrayBuffer());
// Check actual size (may differ from Content-Length)
if (fullData.length > CACHE_MAX_PDF_SIZE_BYTES) {
throw new Error(
`PDF too large to cache: ${fullData.length} bytes exceeds ${CACHE_MAX_PDF_SIZE_BYTES} byte limit`,
);
}
setCacheEntry(normalized, fullData);
return sliceToChunk(fullData, offset, clampedByteCount);
}
// HTTP 206 Partial Content — parse total size from Content-Range header
const contentRange = response.headers.get("content-range");
let totalBytes = 0;
if (contentRange) {
const match = contentRange.match(/bytes \d+-\d+\/(\d+)/);
if (match) {
totalBytes = parseInt(match[1], 10);
}
}
const data = new Uint8Array(await response.arrayBuffer());
return { data, totalBytes };
}
return {
readPdfRange,
getCacheSize: () => cache.size,
clearCache: () => {
for (const url of [...cache.keys()]) {
deleteCacheEntry(url);
}
},
};
}
// =============================================================================
// MCP Roots
// =============================================================================
/**
* Query the client for roots and update allowedLocalDirs with any file:// roots
* that point to existing directories.
*/
async function refreshRoots(server: Server): Promise<void> {
if (!server.getClientCapabilities()?.roots) return;
try {
const { roots } = await server.listRoots();
allowedLocalDirs.clear();
for (const root of roots) {
if (isFileUrl(root.uri)) {
const dir = fileUrlToPath(root.uri);
const resolved = path.resolve(dir);
try {
const s = fs.statSync(resolved);
if (s.isFile()) {
console.error(
`[pdf-server] Root is a file, not a directory (skipped): ${resolved}`,
);
allowedLocalFiles.add(resolved);
} else if (s.isDirectory()) {
allowedLocalDirs.add(resolved);
console.error(`[pdf-server] Root directory allowed: ${resolved}`);
}
} catch {
// stat failed — skip non-existent roots
}
}
}
} catch (err) {
console.error(
`[pdf-server] Failed to list roots: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : err}`,
);
}
}
// =============================================================================
// MCP Server Factory
// =============================================================================
export interface CreateServerOptions {
/**
* Whether to honour MCP roots sent by the client.
*
* When a server is exposed over HTTP, the connecting client is
* typically remote and may advertise `roots` that refer to
* directories on the **client's** file system. Because the server
* resolves those paths locally, accepting them by default would give
* the remote client access to arbitrary directories on the
* **server's** machine.
*
* For stdio the client is typically local (e.g. Claude Desktop on the
* same machine), so roots are safe and enabled by default.
*
* Set this to `true` for HTTP only when you trust the client, or
* pass the `--use-client-roots` CLI flag.
*
* @default false
*/
useClientRoots?: boolean;
}
export function createServer(options: CreateServerOptions = {}): McpServer {
const { useClientRoots = false } = options;
const server = new McpServer({ name: "PDF Server", version: "2.0.0" });
if (useClientRoots) {
// Fetch roots on initialization and subscribe to changes
server.server.oninitialized = () => {
refreshRoots(server.server);
};
server.server.setNotificationHandler(
RootsListChangedNotificationSchema,
async () => {
await refreshRoots(server.server);
},
);
} else {
console.error(
"[pdf-server] Client roots are ignored (default for remote transports). " +
"Pass --use-client-roots to allow the client to expose local directories.",
);
}
// Create session-local cache (isolated per server instance)
const { readPdfRange } = createPdfCache();
// Tool: list_pdfs - List available PDFs
server.tool(
"list_pdfs",
"List available PDFs that can be displayed",
{},
async (): Promise<CallToolResult> => {
const pdfs: Array<{ url: string; type: "local" | "remote" }> = [];
// Add local files
for (const filePath of allowedLocalFiles) {
pdfs.push({ url: pathToFileUrl(filePath), type: "local" });
}
// Build text
const parts: string[] = [];
if (pdfs.length > 0) {
parts.push(
`Available PDFs:\n${pdfs.map((p) => `- ${p.url} (${p.type})`).join("\n")}`,
);
}
if (allowedLocalDirs.size > 0) {
parts.push(
`Allowed local directories (from client roots):\n${[...allowedLocalDirs].map((d) => `- ${d}`).join("\n")}\nAny PDF file under these directories can be displayed.`,
);
}
parts.push(
`Any remote PDF accessible via HTTPS can also be loaded dynamically.`,
);
return {
content: [{ type: "text", text: parts.join("\n\n") }],
structuredContent: {
localFiles: pdfs.filter((p) => p.type === "local").map((p) => p.url),
allowedDirectories: [...allowedLocalDirs],
},
};
},
);
// Tool: read_pdf_bytes (app-only) - Range request for chunks
registerAppTool(
server,
"read_pdf_bytes",
{
title: "Read PDF Bytes",
description: "Read a range of bytes from a PDF (max 512KB per request)",
inputSchema: {
url: z.string().describe("PDF URL or local file path"),
offset: z.number().min(0).default(0).describe("Byte offset"),
byteCount: z
.number()
.min(1)
.max(MAX_CHUNK_BYTES)
.default(MAX_CHUNK_BYTES)
.describe("Bytes to read"),
},
outputSchema: z.object({
url: z.string(),
bytes: z.string().describe("Base64 encoded bytes"),
offset: z.number(),
byteCount: z.number(),
totalBytes: z.number(),
hasMore: z.boolean(),
}),
_meta: { ui: { visibility: ["app"] } },
},
async ({ url, offset, byteCount }): Promise<CallToolResult> => {
const validation = validateUrl(url);
if (!validation.valid) {
return {
content: [{ type: "text", text: validation.error! }],
isError: true,
};
}
try {
const normalized = isArxivUrl(url) ? normalizeArxivUrl(url) : url;
const { data, totalBytes } = await readPdfRange(
normalized,
offset,
byteCount,
);
// Base64 encode for JSON transport
const bytes = Buffer.from(data).toString("base64");
const hasMore = offset + data.length < totalBytes;
return {
content: [
{
type: "text",
text: `${data.length} bytes at ${offset}/${totalBytes}`,
},
],
structuredContent: {
url: normalized,
bytes,
offset,
byteCount: data.length,
totalBytes,
hasMore,
},
};
} catch (err) {
return {
content: [
{
type: "text",
text: `Error: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`,
},
],
isError: true,
};
}
},
);
// Tool: display_pdf - Show interactive viewer
registerAppTool(
server,
"display_pdf",
{
title: "Display PDF",
description: `Display an interactive PDF viewer.
Accepts:
- Local files explicitly added to the server (use list_pdfs to see available files)
- Local files under directories provided by the client as MCP roots
- Any remote PDF accessible via HTTPS`,
inputSchema: {
url: z
.string()
.default(DEFAULT_PDF)
.describe("PDF URL or local file path"),
page: z.number().min(1).default(1).describe("Initial page"),
},
outputSchema: z.object({
url: z.string(),
initialPage: z.number(),
totalBytes: z.number(),
}),
_meta: { ui: { resourceUri: RESOURCE_URI } },
},
async ({ url, page }): Promise<CallToolResult> => {
const normalized = isArxivUrl(url) ? normalizeArxivUrl(url) : url;
const validation = validateUrl(normalized);
if (!validation.valid) {
return {
content: [{ type: "text", text: validation.error! }],
isError: true,
};
}
// Probe file size so the client can set up range transport without an extra fetch
const { totalBytes } = await readPdfRange(normalized, 0, 1);
return {
content: [{ type: "text", text: `Displaying PDF: ${normalized}` }],
structuredContent: {
url: normalized,
initialPage: page,
totalBytes,
},
_meta: {
viewUUID: randomUUID(),
},
};
},
);
// Resource: UI HTML
registerAppResource(
server,
RESOURCE_URI,
RESOURCE_URI,
{ mimeType: RESOURCE_MIME_TYPE },
async (): Promise<ReadResourceResult> => {
const html = await fs.promises.readFile(
path.join(DIST_DIR, "mcp-app.html"),
"utf-8",
);
return {
contents: [
{ uri: RESOURCE_URI, mimeType: RESOURCE_MIME_TYPE, text: html },
],
};
},
);
return server;
}