--- title: "MCP MariaDB Server: review, setup & limitations · Undominated.ai" canonical: https://undominated.ai/mcp-servers/mariadb/ description: "Python MCP server from the MariaDB organisation that lists databases and schemas, runs statements through a default read-only gate, and can register vector-store tools when an embedding provider is set." --- # MCP MariaDB Server: review, setup & limitations · Undominated.ai > Python MCP server from the MariaDB organisation that lists databases and schemas, runs statements through a default read-only gate, and can register vector-store tools when an embedding provider is set. [← Explore all mcp servers](/mcp-servers/) DATABASE DEVELOPMENT / MariaDB # MCP MariaDB Server Python MCP server from the MariaDB organisation that lists databases and schemas, runs statements through a default read-only gate, and can register vector-store tools when an embedding provider is set. [See setup guidance ↓](#setup)[Original source ↗](https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp) SOURCE REVIEW Reviewed 2026-10-15 Evidence 5 linked sources Publisher MariaDB Licence [MIT ↗](https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/LICENSE) Revision 64876fb1a4cb [Read what was—and wasn’t—checked ↓](#review) “The MCP MariaDB Server provides a Model Context Protocol (MCP) interface for managing and querying MariaDB databases, supporting both standard SQL operations and advanced vector/embedding-based search.” [MariaDB · upstream description ↗](https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/README.md) Our analysis follows below. 01 / THE REASONING ## Why this made the selection. - MariaDB publishes this server in MariaDB/mcp. At 64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc, pyproject.toml names the package mariadb-server version 0.2.6, requires Python >=3.11, and describes it as MariaDB MCP Server. The LICENSE file is the MIT License and its copyright line is Copyright (c) 2025 MariaDB. - The README lists list_databases, list_tables, get_table_schema, get_table_schema_with_relations, execute_sql, and create_database, plus optional vector-store tools. src/server.py defines methods with those names. ### A good fit for - List MariaDB databases and table schemas, then run a statement whose normalised text starts with SELECT, SHOW, DESC, DESCRIBE, or USE. - Register the optional vector-store tools after EMBEDDING_PROVIDER is set to openai, gemini, or huggingface. ### Weigh up before choosing - The default-branch commit read here, 64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc, is dated 2026-08-10. - The README run lines say uv run server.py. This tree has src/server.py and no server.py at the repository root. The Docker client example passes src/server.py. - MCP_READ_ONLY defaults to true in the README table and in src/config.py. create_database sends CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS, which is outside the prefix tuple SELECT, SHOW, DESC, DESCRIBE, USE, so the default read-only branch raises PermissionError. The README still lists create_database as a tool. - In that same read-only branch, LOAD_FILE() and SELECT INTO OUTFILE or DUMPFILE also raise PermissionError. MCP_BLOCK_SENSITIVE_SHOW defaults to true and is independent of the read-only flag. - DB_SSL defaults to false. DB_SSL_VERIFY_CERT defaults to true. DB_SSL_VERIFY_IDENTITY defaults to false. The README says http and sse have no default authentication method. - The stdio client example uses the placeholder paths path/to/mariadb-mcp-server/ and server.py, plus envFile path/to/mcp-server-mariadb-vector/.env. The Docker example sets --host 0.0.0.0, publishes port 9001, and also passes --transport stdio. - pip install uv is printed as a setup step and does not pin a server build. Vector tools are absent unless EMBEDDING_PROVIDER is set. 02 / THE REVIEW RECORD ## What we actually inspected. Source review has boundaries. A clear record is more useful than a “safe” badge. ### Material inspected - README.md at 64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc: opening sentence, tool list, environment table, run commands, stdio and Docker JSON. - LICENSE at the same revision: MIT License, Copyright (c) 2025 MariaDB. - pyproject.toml at the same revision: name mariadb-server, version 0.2.6, requires-python >=3.11. No project.scripts table. - src/config.py at the same revision: MCP_READ_ONLY and MCP_BLOCK_SENSITIVE_SHOW default to the string true. - src/server.py at the same revision: allowed statement prefixes, the read-only PermissionError, create_database SQL, and the stdio, sse, and http branches in run_async_server. ### Our findings - The README bullet for execute_sql names SELECT, SHOW, and DESCRIBE. The code prefix tuple also includes DESC and USE, and rejects every other prefix while MCP_READ_ONLY is true. - create_database is registered and builds CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS. That statement does not pass the default prefix gate. - The stdio JSON and the root-level uv run server.py line do not match the path src/server.py that is in the tree. The Docker JSON does use src/server.py. - The HTTP client example sets type to streamable-http. The server run line for that mode passes --transport http. ### Not established by this review - Not executed: it was not installed or run. - No MariaDB connection was opened and no embedding provider was called. The review applies to the material and revision named here. A newer upstream release can change its behavior. 03 / PUT IT TO WORK ## Connect a server deliberately. [Upstream setup instructions ↗](https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/README.md) - The README says to clone the repository, install uv, run uv lock and uv sync, create a .env file, and start the process. Those commands are in separate fenced blocks, so none is copied into install.command. - The printed stdio line is uv run server.py. The file in this tree is src/server.py. - Set DB_HOST, DB_USER, and DB_PASSWORD. Leave MCP_READ_ONLY unset to keep the default true. ### Before you start - Python 3.11 and uv. - A MariaDB server and a database user. ### Documented configuration example Use the client and authentication context described in the setup guidance. Configuration formats vary between hosts. { "mcpServers": { "MariaDB_Server": { "command": "uv", "args": [ "--directory", "path/to/mariadb-mcp-server/", "run", "server.py" ], "envFile": "path/to/mcp-server-mariadb-vector/.env" } } } Copy configuration ↗ ### Compatibility Python 3.11, as the README requirements and pyproject.toml state. · uv, as the README requires. · A MariaDB server, local or remote, as the README states. · Clients named in the README integration heading: Claude desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and VSCode. ### Implementation Python ### Transports stdio · sse · http ### MariaDB user and password - DB_HOST, DB_USER, and DB_PASSWORD are required environment variables. DB_PASSWORD is the database password. - With the default read-only gate, statement text is allowed only when it starts with SELECT, SHOW, DESC, DESCRIBE, or USE. Other prefixes raise PermissionError. - create_database issues CREATE DATABASE. Vector tools, when EMBEDDING_PROVIDER is set, create and delete tables and insert documents. Optional keys named in the README are OPENAI_API_KEY and GEMINI_API_KEY. - The README says the server does not provide a default authentication method for http or sse. ### Cost model MIT. The files read here do not state a fee for this server, for MariaDB, or for an embedding provider. 04 / FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE ## The source trail. Our notes are separate from the original resource. Check upstream before adopting a new version. - [MCP MariaDB Server README at 64876fb1 ↗](https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/README.md) Checked 2026-10-15 https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/README.md Supports: upstreamDescription, install, configExample, transports, bestFor, limitations, access - [MIT License at 64876fb1 ↗](https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/LICENSE) Checked 2026-10-15 https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/LICENSE Supports: license - [pyproject.toml at 64876fb1 ↗](https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/pyproject.toml) Checked 2026-10-15 https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/pyproject.toml Supports: language, compatibility, whySelected - [src/server.py at 64876fb1 ↗](https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/src/server.py) Checked 2026-10-15 https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/src/server.py Supports: limitations, access, review.findings - [src/config.py at 64876fb1 ↗](https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/src/config.py) Checked 2026-10-15 https://github.com/MariaDB/mcp/blob/64876fb1a4cb81bf51564c46eb60401097c067cc/src/config.py Supports: limitations, access KEEP COMPARING ## Other approaches to consider. Related by category or shared topics. These are alternatives to inspect, not a measured quality order. [### YDB MCP ↗ Python MCP server from the ydb-platform organisation that runs YDB SQL, explains queries, and lists or describes paths, with writes off unless a flag or environment variable turns them on.](/mcp-servers/ydb/)[### YugabyteDB MCP Server ↗ Python MCP server from the Yugabyte organisation that lists schema objects, runs a SELECT inside a read-only transaction, and keeps the write tool off unless an operator flag turns it on.](/mcp-servers/yugabytedb/)[### Aurora DSQL MCP ↗ AWS Labs MCP server that turns questions into Postgres-compatible SQL for Aurora DSQL, read-only unless --allow-writes is passed, and only on the same host as the client.](/mcp-servers/awslabs-aurora-dsql/) [AI Tools ↗](/tools/)[Skills ↗](/skills/)[Agents ↗](/agents/)[MCP Servers ↗](/mcp-servers/)[Workflows ↗](/workflows/) ## Continue your investigation - [Inspect resource evidence](/tools/) - [Choose a host](/agents/) - [Inspect reusable workflows](/skills/) - [Use Undominated data](/api/)