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Why MCP Config Files Default to Wildcard Scopes Instead of Least Privilege

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Many MCP server configuration files default to wildcard permission scopes like 'admin:*' not by deliberate design, but because documentation typically offers the wildcard as the quickest path to a working setup. While wildcard and enumerated scopes may grant identical effective access, only enumerated scopes make explicit which endpoints or resources a tool actually uses. This lack of specificity becomes a security liability when multiple MCP servers share an agent session, making it difficult to audit whether tool pairings are appropriate. Static analysis tools like sentinel-scan-cli can flag wildcard scope declarations in mcp.json files without executing any code or making network calls. Security experts argue that taking a few extra minutes to enumerate scopes upfront significantly reduces the effort required for future config reviews and access audits.

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