{ "title": "Local and Remote MCP Secret Management Matrix", "schemaVersion": "1.0", "researchFreeze": "2026-08-26", "protocolRevision": "MCP 2026-07-28", "sourcePackage": "research/10", "integrityNote": "All 108 listed ordinary archive payloads verify. The package contains two incompatible numeric source namespaces; public records preserve an explicit archive namespace and never resolve IDs across families.", "evidencePolicy": "Only manually curated build_context source groups appear in sourceIds. Raw row tokens are preserved under archive and are not treated as publication citations.", "checkedAt": "2026-08-26", "count": 8, "records": [ { "Secret location": "Environment variables", "Local use": "Common", "Remote use": "Common in container/runtime configuration", "Preferred practice": "Explicit per-server allowlist", "Anti-pattern": "Inheriting the whole environment or logging values", "Source IDs": "S004 S039 S042 S067", "id": "R10-SECRET001", "sourceIds": [ "S133", "S471", "S475", "S191", "S006", "S005", "S192", "S004", "S193", "S488", "S134", "S111", "S112", "S207", "S208", "S210", "S212", "S238", "S233", "S245", "S243", "S147", "S109", "S196", "S485" ], "evidenceStatus": "curated-dataset-level-evidence; not an archive row-level citation mapping", "archive": { "namespace": "research/10/secret_management_matrix.json", "row": 1, "sourceIds": [ "S004", "S039", "S042", "S067" ], "raw": { "Secret location": "Environment variables", "Local use": "Common", "Remote use": "Common in container/runtime configuration", "Preferred practice": "Explicit per-server allowlist", "Anti-pattern": "Inheriting the whole environment or logging values", "Source IDs": "S004 S039 S042 S067" } } }, { "Secret location": "Command-line arguments", "Local use": "Sometimes used", "Remote use": "Deployment tooling may use", "Preferred practice": "Non-sensitive flags only", "Anti-pattern": "Tokens and passwords visible in process metadata/history", "Source IDs": "S039", "id": "R10-SECRET002", "sourceIds": [ "S133", "S471", "S475", "S191", "S006", "S005", "S192", "S004", "S193", "S488", "S134", "S111", "S112", "S207", "S208", "S210", "S212", "S238", "S233", "S245", "S243", "S147", "S109", "S196", "S485" ], "evidenceStatus": "curated-dataset-level-evidence; not an archive row-level citation mapping", "archive": { "namespace": "research/10/secret_management_matrix.json", "row": 2, "sourceIds": [ "S039" ], "raw": { "Secret location": "Command-line arguments", "Local use": "Sometimes used", "Remote use": "Deployment tooling may use", "Preferred practice": "Non-sensitive flags only", "Anti-pattern": "Tokens and passwords visible in process metadata/history", "Source IDs": "S039" } } }, { "Secret location": "Configuration file", "Local use": "Common for server definitions", "Remote use": "Connector config stores URL and non-secret metadata", "Preferred practice": "Reference secret variables rather than values", "Anti-pattern": "Plaintext committed to source control", "Source IDs": "S039 S042", "id": "R10-SECRET003", "sourceIds": [ "S133", "S471", "S475", "S191", "S006", "S005", "S192", "S004", "S193", "S488", "S134", "S111", "S112", "S207", "S208", "S210", "S212", "S238", "S233", "S245", "S243", "S147", "S109", "S196", "S485" ], "evidenceStatus": "curated-dataset-level-evidence; not an archive row-level citation mapping", "archive": { "namespace": "research/10/secret_management_matrix.json", "row": 3, "sourceIds": [ "S039", "S042" ], "raw": { "Secret location": "Configuration file", "Local use": "Common for server definitions", "Remote use": "Connector config stores URL and non-secret metadata", "Preferred practice": "Reference secret variables rather than values", "Anti-pattern": "Plaintext committed to source control", "Source IDs": "S039 S042" } } }, { "Secret location": "OS keychain", "Local use": "Strong local option", "Remote use": "Not normally used by server fleet", "Preferred practice": "Host retrieves token just in time", "Anti-pattern": "Product-specific portability limits", "Source IDs": "S013", "id": "R10-SECRET004", "sourceIds": [ "S133", "S471", "S475", "S191", "S006", "S005", "S192", "S004", "S193", "S488", "S134", "S111", "S112", "S207", "S208", "S210", "S212", "S238", "S233", "S245", "S243", "S147", "S109", "S196", "S485" ], "evidenceStatus": "curated-dataset-level-evidence; not an archive row-level citation mapping", "archive": { "namespace": "research/10/secret_management_matrix.json", "row": 4, "sourceIds": [ "S013" ], "raw": { "Secret location": "OS keychain", "Local use": "Strong local option", "Remote use": "Not normally used by server fleet", "Preferred practice": "Host retrieves token just in time", "Anti-pattern": "Product-specific portability limits", "Source IDs": "S013" } } }, { "Secret location": "Cloud secret manager", "Local use": "Not typical unless local enterprise agent uses cloud", "Remote use": "Preferred remote option", "Preferred practice": "Rotation, access policy and audit", "Anti-pattern": "Overbroad workload permissions", "Source IDs": "S051 S056 S057", "id": "R10-SECRET005", "sourceIds": [ "S133", "S471", "S475", "S191", "S006", "S005", "S192", "S004", "S193", "S488", "S134", "S111", "S112", "S207", "S208", "S210", "S212", "S238", "S233", "S245", "S243", "S147", "S109", "S196", "S485" ], "evidenceStatus": "curated-dataset-level-evidence; not an archive row-level citation mapping", "archive": { "namespace": "research/10/secret_management_matrix.json", "row": 5, "sourceIds": [ "S051", "S056", "S057" ], "raw": { "Secret location": "Cloud secret manager", "Local use": "Not typical unless local enterprise agent uses cloud", "Remote use": "Preferred remote option", "Preferred practice": "Rotation, access policy and audit", "Anti-pattern": "Overbroad workload permissions", "Source IDs": "S051 S056 S057" } } }, { "Secret location": "OAuth access token", "Local use": "Local host can obtain for upstream or remote MCP", "Remote use": "Primary delegated remote credential", "Preferred practice": "Short-lived, scoped and audience bound", "Anti-pattern": "Token theft, wrong audience, refresh-token misuse", "Source IDs": "S004 S005", "id": "R10-SECRET006", "sourceIds": [ "S133", "S471", "S475", "S191", "S006", "S005", "S192", "S004", "S193", "S488", "S134", "S111", "S112", "S207", "S208", "S210", "S212", "S238", "S233", "S245", "S243", "S147", "S109", "S196", "S485" ], "evidenceStatus": "curated-dataset-level-evidence; not an archive row-level citation mapping", "archive": { "namespace": "research/10/secret_management_matrix.json", "row": 6, "sourceIds": [ "S004", "S005" ], "raw": { "Secret location": "OAuth access token", "Local use": "Local host can obtain for upstream or remote MCP", "Remote use": "Primary delegated remote credential", "Preferred practice": "Short-lived, scoped and audience bound", "Anti-pattern": "Token theft, wrong audience, refresh-token misuse", "Source IDs": "S004 S005" } } }, { "Secret location": "Service account / managed identity", "Local use": "Local dev may impersonate", "Remote use": "Common remote workload identity", "Preferred practice": "Avoid hardcoded key material", "Anti-pattern": "Can lose user context and create broad service power", "Source IDs": "S042 S056 S061", "id": "R10-SECRET007", "sourceIds": [ "S133", "S471", "S475", "S191", "S006", "S005", "S192", "S004", "S193", "S488", "S134", "S111", "S112", "S207", "S208", "S210", "S212", "S238", "S233", "S245", "S243", "S147", "S109", "S196", "S485" ], "evidenceStatus": "curated-dataset-level-evidence; not an archive row-level citation mapping", "archive": { "namespace": "research/10/secret_management_matrix.json", "row": 7, "sourceIds": [ "S042", "S056", "S061" ], "raw": { "Secret location": "Service account / managed identity", "Local use": "Local dev may impersonate", "Remote use": "Common remote workload identity", "Preferred practice": "Avoid hardcoded key material", "Anti-pattern": "Can lose user context and create broad service power", "Source IDs": "S042 S056 S061" } } }, { "Secret location": "MCPB user configuration", "Local use": "Bundle install prompts for values", "Remote use": "Not applicable to hosted service", "Preferred practice": "Declared configuration schema", "Anti-pattern": "Users may paste sensitive tokens into weak storage", "Source IDs": "S014 S015", "id": "R10-SECRET008", "sourceIds": [ "S133", "S471", "S475", "S191", "S006", "S005", "S192", "S004", "S193", "S488", "S134", "S111", "S112", "S207", "S208", "S210", "S212", "S238", "S233", "S245", "S243", "S147", "S109", "S196", "S485" ], "evidenceStatus": "curated-dataset-level-evidence; not an archive row-level citation mapping", "archive": { "namespace": "research/10/secret_management_matrix.json", "row": 8, "sourceIds": [ "S014", "S015" ], "raw": { "Secret location": "MCPB user configuration", "Local use": "Bundle install prompts for values", "Remote use": "Not applicable to hosted service", "Preferred practice": "Declared configuration schema", "Anti-pattern": "Users may paste sensitive tokens into weak storage", "Source IDs": "S014 S015" } } } ] }