Decision guide

MCP Scanning vs Runtime Enforcement

Fact review observed 2026-08-09Review expires 2026-09-08v1.0.0

Direct answer

MCP security can include pre-connection review of configuration and server/tool metadata plus policy at runtime tool-call boundaries. HOL Guard’s published support contract includes MCP configuration and managed MCP calls on supported surfaces, but coverage remains harness- and event-specific. A scanner, configuration review, native permission prompt, and runtime policy boundary can be complementary rather than interchangeable.

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On this page
Evaluate MCP controls by what they inspect, when they decide, which transports and harnesses they cover, how they fail, and whether they can stop a consequential action. Avoid reducing the category to a universal “scanner versus runtime” split because products and transports can span more than one point in the lifecycle.

Who this guidance is for

Best fit

  • Teams using MCP servers with AI coding agents
  • Security teams deciding between scanning and enforcement
  • Developers who want both preventive and reactive controls

Not a fit

  • Teams not using MCP servers
  • Teams that only need post-incident forensics

Limitations

  • This guide compares approaches, not specific scanner products.
  • Scanner capabilities vary by implementation; check each tool’s documentation.

Primary sources

Questions

What is the difference between MCP scanning and runtime enforcement?

Scanning reviews MCP configuration and server/tool metadata before a server is used. Runtime enforcement applies policy at tool-call boundaries after the server is registered. A scanner, configuration review, native permission prompt, and runtime policy boundary can be complementary rather than interchangeable.

Does a catalog or plugin scan mean an MCP server or plugin is safe?

No. A scan is not a safety guarantee. The current public catalog scanner is registry-broker-fallback static scoring, not a live exploit test. Catalog plugin counts are not Registry Broker agent counts.

Does HOL Guard replace a config scanner like mcp-scan?

No. HOL Guard is local-first runtime control on the developer machine for shell, secrets/file reads, MCP server change, and plugin/skill install. It is not a cloud MCP gateway. It is not a complete prompt-injection preventer. It does not replace a configuration scanner such as mcp-scan.

Apply this guidance

Use these boundaries in a real environment. The click is recorded with this page, content version, and destination for outcome analysis.

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Gap decision: GAP-DEC-002 · Neutrality review: NEUTRALITY-002

Fact-audit changelog: 2026-08-09 reviewed named-product and product-coverage wording against current primary sources and the Guard support contract.

Gap prioritization may originate from fixture-derived analysis; it is not represented as a live search-engine observation.

About this page

Author
HOL Guard Team
Technical reviewer
HOL Guard Team
Reviewed
Content version
1.0.0
Buyer prompt
GAE-005: secure MCP servers in Codex
Next rescan
Changelog
  1. v1.0.0 — Initial publication.