Brave SearchSAFE
None
Overview
From the repository's own README, as read at the audited commit. Badges and raw HTML are left out.
An MCP server implementation that integrates the Brave Search API, providing comprehensive search capabilities including web search, local business search, place search, image search, video search, news search, LLM context, and AI-powered summarization. This project supports both STDIO and HTTP transports, with STDIO as the default mode.
[](https://deepwiki.com/brave/brave-search-mcp-server)
Migration
1.x to 2.x
Default transport now STDIO
To follow established MCP conventions, the server now defaults to STDIO. If you would like to continue using HTTP, you will need to set the BRAVE_MCP_TRANSPORT environment variable to http, or provide the runtime argument --transport http when launching the server.
Response structure of brave_image_search
Version 1.x of the MCP server would return base64-encoded image data along with image URLs. This dramatically slowed down the response, as well as consumed unnecessarily context in the session. Version 2.x removes the base64-encoded data, and returns a response object that more closely reflects the original Brave Search API response. The updated output schema is defined in `src/tools/images/schemas/output.ts`.
Tools
Web Search (brave_web_search)
Performs comprehensive web searches with rich result types and advanced filtering options.
Parameters:
query(string, required): Search terms (max 400 chars, 50 words)country(string, optional): Country code (default: "US")search_lang(string, optional): Search language (default: "en")ui_lang(string, optional): UI language (default: "en-US")count(number, optional): Results per page (1-20, default: 10)offset(number, optional): Pagination offset (max 9, default: 0)safesearch(string, optional): Content filtering ("off", "moderate", "strict
6a43063316e7OBSERVED · 2026-09-24Connect
Built from this server's own package name, version and transport as found in its source — not copied from anyone's documentation, so it cannot drift against a page we do not control. Replace the environment placeholders with a token scoped to the least it needs.
claude mcp add brave-search-mcp-server --env BRAVE_API_KEY=${BRAVE_API_KEY} -- npx -y @brave/[email protected]Trust audit
SAFEgrade B · trust 89/100 Nothing in the source contradicts what it says it does. Grade A is reserved for packages that have also passed the behavioural sandbox.
| Layer | What it checks | Result |
|---|---|---|
| L0 | Provenance & inventory | PASS |
| L1 | Static analysis of the code | PASS |
| L2 | Instruction surface (what it tells the agent) | PASS |
| L3 | Class-specific surface | PASS |
| L4 | Behavioural (sandbox) | SKIPPED |
What the source does
- Filesystem
- declared (2 observation(s))
- Network
- declared (1 observation(s))
- Shell
- none-observed
- Dependencies
- pinned
- Secrets in source
- none-found
Findings (10)
.prettierignore
import { useTestClient } from '../../testUtils/mcpTestHarness.js';import API from '../../BraveAPI/index.js';
import { useTestClient } from '../../testUtils/mcpTestHarness.js';import API from '../../BraveAPI/index.js';
import { useTestClient } from '../../testUtils/mcpTestHarness.js';- `npm run serve:http`: Build, then serve over HTTP at `http://127.0.0.1:8080/mcp`
- `npm run inspector:http`: Launch MCP Inspector against `http://127.0.0.1:8080/mcp`
baseUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${port}`;Gates applied: no_behavioural_pass.
6a43063316e7full audit observations/trust-audit/mcp-server/brave__brave-search-6.json · Report an issue / request a re-scanAudit history
Every audit this server has had. A grade with a past is a grade somebody is still checking.
| Date | Source | Verdict | Grade | Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-24 | 6a43063316e7 | SAFE | B | 89 | first audit |
Questions
What is the Brave Search MCP server?
None
Is Brave Search safe to connect to an agent?
The audit found nothing in the source that contradicts what it says it does, and graded it B (89/100). Grade A is held back for packages that have also passed a sandboxed behavioural run, which is why a clean server reads B.
What credentials does Brave Search need?
It reads BRAVE_API_KEY and BRAVE_API_KEY_FILE from the environment. Give it a token scoped to the least it needs — an agent that can be talked into calling a tool can be talked into calling it with your credentials.
How does Brave Search run?
It speaks stdio and streamable-http, so it runs as a local process your client starts. It is published on npm as @brave/brave-search-mcp-server at 2.1.4.
How current is this page?
The grade is for one exact copy of the source (6a43063316e7), read on 2026-09-24. The repository is watched and re-audited when it changes.