io.usefulapi/tailscale
REMOTE · TAILSCALE.USEFULAPI.IO · SCANNED SEP 21
Read devices, users, keys, ACLs and DNS for a tailnet; manage devices, routes and auth keys.
Available components
How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. How we score → Why this is hard to score →
Endpoint Security78
- The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key. View diagnostics → Pass
- Authorisation is enforced on tool calls, advertised via RFC 9728 protected-resource metadata. Discovery is public, which costs nothing: no tool can be invoked without a token. View diagnostics → Pass
- HTTPS enforcement could not be verified: the plaintext port answered with HTTP 401, which proves neither a plaintext path nor enforcement. View diagnostics → Unverified
- HSTS check failed: the Strict-Transport-Security header is absent. See how to fix → View diagnostics → Fail
- DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC. See how to fix → View diagnostics → Fail
- The authorisation server offers only Dynamic Client Registration (RFC 7591), which MCP 2026-07-28 deprecated in favour of Client ID Metadata Documents. View diagnostics → Partial
Transport & Reachability100
- Verified streamable-http transport via a live MCP handshake. View diagnostics → Pass
Schema Quality & AI Usability81
- AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).Pass
- Tool/resource definitions use about 1451 tokens (~65/item across 22 items; 22 tools + 0 resources), lean.Pass
- Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples. See how to fix → Fail
Stability & Change Management100
- No destabilizing schema changes in the last 30 days.Pass
Tool Coverage100
- 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).Pass
- 100% of tool parameters carry a description.Pass
Tool Safety100
- No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.Pass
- All 2 tool(s) whose name or description implies an irreversible operation declare an MCP destructiveHint annotation.Pass
- An AI judge read all 22 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.Pass
Capabilities60
- Spec-recency check failed: implements MCP spec 2025-06-18; the latest is 2026-07-28. See how to fix → Fail
How do I install the io.usefulapi/tailscale MCP server?
io.usefulapi/tailscale is a hosted endpoint at https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.
remote · tailscale.usefulapi.io
claude mcp add --transport http io-usefulapi-tailscale 'https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp'
{
"mcpServers": {
"io-usefulapi-tailscale": {
"url": "https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
} {
"servers": {
"io-usefulapi-tailscale": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
} [mcp_servers.io-usefulapi-tailscale] url = "https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp"
{
"$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
"mcp": {
"io-usefulapi-tailscale": {
"type": "remote",
"url": "https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp",
"enabled": true
}
}
} openclaw mcp add io-usefulapi-tailscale --url 'https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp' --transport streamable-http
mcp_servers:
io-usefulapi-tailscale:
url: "https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp" {
"McpServers": {
"io-usefulapi-tailscale": {
"Transport": "http",
"Url": "https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
} assistant mcp add io-usefulapi-tailscale -t streamable-http -u 'https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp'
{
"mcpServers": {
"io-usefulapi-tailscale": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
} The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.
Every change we have recorded for this component, newest first. Security-relevant changes are always shown. ▲ marks a change for the better, ▼ a change for the worse; unmarked changes are neutral.
- 19 Sept 26 +58
- Authorization: unverified → pass ▲ security
- Injection markers: unverified → pass ▲ security
- Stability: unverified → pass ▲ security
- MCP protocol: unverified → fail ▼ functional
- Endpoint reachability: behind authorisation → reachable ▲ functional
- Tool coverage: unverified → 100 ▲ functional
- 18 Sept 26 −45
- Endpoint reachability: reachable → behind authorisation ▼ security
- Stability: fail → unverified ▼ security
- Tool safety: pass → unverified ▼ security
- Authorization: Authorisation not fully verified: no authorisation is required to connect, but we couldn't read the tool list to see what that exposes. security
- Capabilities: fail → unverified ▼ functional
- Tool coverage: 100 → unverified ▼ functional
- Schema quality: Schema blocked by authentication: the endpoint requires auth we don't have to read it. functional
- 17 Sept 26 +55
- Stability: unverified → fail ▼ security
- Transport: unverified → pass ▲ security
- Injection markers: unverified → pass ▲ security
- Authorization: Authorisation not fully verified: this server exposes a tool marked destructive (tailscale_authorize_device) and its handshake is open, but we could not confirm whether a tool call is gated, so we do not assert it is callable unauthenticated. security
- MCP protocol: unverified → fail ▼ functional
- Endpoint reachability: not serving MCP → reachable ▲ functional
- Tool coverage: unverified → 100 ▲ functional
- 15 Sept 26 −68
- Endpoint reachability: reachable → not serving MCP ▼ security
- Authorization: pass → unverified ▼ security
- Stability: pass → unverified ▼ security
- Tool safety: pass → unverified ▼ security
- Transport: pass → unverified ▼ security
- Capabilities: fail → unverified ▼ functional
- Tool coverage: 100 → unverified ▼ functional
- 14 Sept 26 −1
No change was recorded against any check on this day. Endpoint Security went from 80 to 78.
- 13 Sept 26 +1
No change was recorded against any check on this day. Endpoint Security went from 78 to 80.
- 1 Sept 26 0
- Stability: 0.97 → pass security
- 31 Aug 26 +1
No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 93 to 97. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 28 days of observed history at the previous scan, 29 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.
Diagnostic detail from the automated scan of this channel: what the scanner observed at each step, so you can see exactly where a check passed or failed. It is informational only and never changes the trust score.
Captured 21 Sept 2026 · Probed https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp
TLS valid
Negotiated TLS 1.3 with TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256 .
| Subject | Issuer | Valid from | Valid until | Key | Signature | Serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN=usefulapi.io | CN=WE1,O=Google Trust Services,C=US | 1 Aug 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 | ECDSA 256 | ECDSA-SHA256 | 488e436f5b48bf6c1363342a4716e721 |
| SANs: usefulapi.io, tailscale.usefulapi.io, *.tailscale.usefulapi.io | ||||||
| CN=WE1,O=Google Trust Services,C=US (CA) | CN=GTS Root R4,O=Google Trust Services LLC,C=US | 13 Dec 2023 | 20 Feb 2029 | ECDSA 256 | ECDSA-SHA384 | 7ff31977972c224a76155d13b6d685e3 |
| CN=GTS Root R4,O=Google Trust Services LLC,C=US (CA) | CN=GlobalSign Root CA,OU=Root CA,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BE | 15 Nov 2023 | 28 Jan 2028 | ECDSA 384 | SHA256-RSA | 7fe530bf331343bedd821610493d8a1b |
Background: What to check on a remote MCP endpoint →
DNSSEC insecure
Validation of tailscale.usefulapi.io. — Not signed
| Zone | DS | Keys | Algorithms | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | trust_anchor | 20326, 38696 | 8, 8 | Verified |
| io. | present | 57355 | 8 | Verified |
| usefulapi.io. | absent | Unsigned (proven) parent-signed NSEC/NSEC3 proves an unsigned delegation |
Authentication Enforced and verified
The endpoint asked for a token and published valid RFC 9728 metadata describing how to get one.
| Result | Enforced and verified |
|---|---|
| Enforced | On tool calls |
| HTTP status | 200 |
WWW-Authenticate challenge Bearer realm="OAuth", resource_metadata="https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource/mcp", error="invalid_token", error_description="Missing or invalid access token"
Bearer realm="OAuth", resource_metadata="https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource/mcp", error="invalid_token", error_description="Missing or invalid access token"Protected resource metadata
| Document | https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource/mcp |
|---|---|
| Retrieved | Yes |
| Resource | https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp |
| Authorisation server | https://tailscale.usefulapi.io |
Background: How OAuth 2.1 works in the 2026 MCP spec →
Transports 2 probes
| Transport | URL | Outcome | Status | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| streamable-http | https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp | Verified | 200 | |
| http (plaintext) | http://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp | Inconclusive | 401 |
The tools this component advertises to a client, with an estimated token cost for each. Expand a tool to see its parameters and schema. The per-tool counts are indicative and are not scored directly; the schema's total context footprint is one signal in Schema Quality & AI Usability. A tool's description is untrusted text the model reads on every call, which is what makes this list a security surface and not just an inventory: how tool poisoning works →
tailscale_authorize_device Authorize device ~80
Authorize or de-authorize a device (only relevant when device approval is enabled for the tailnet). Tailscale REST: POST /device/{deviceId}/authorized.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| authorized | boolean | yes | True to authorize the device into the tailnet, false to de-authorize it. |
| deviceId | string | yes | The device id. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_create_auth_key Create auth key ~169
Create a new auth key for the tailnet (used to register new devices). Tailscale REST: POST /tailnet/{tailnet}/keys.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| description | string | – | A short description for the key. |
| ephemeral | boolean | – | If true, devices registered with this key are ephemeral (removed shortly after going offline). |
| expirySeconds | number | – | Key lifetime in seconds; 0 means no expiry (if allowed by tailnet policy). |
| preauthorized | boolean | – | If true, devices registered with this key are pre-authorized (skip device approval). |
| reusable | boolean | – | If true, the key can register multiple devices. |
| tags | array | – | ACL tags to apply to devices created with this key, e.g. ["tag:ci"]. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_delete_device Delete device ~46
Delete a device, removing it from the tailnet. Tailscale REST: DELETE /device/{deviceId}.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| deviceId | string | yes | The device id to delete. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_delete_key Delete key ~60
Delete (revoke) an auth key or API access token by id — a security response. Tailscale REST: DELETE /tailnet/{tailnet}/keys/{keyId}.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| keyId | string | yes | The key id to delete. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_expire_device_key Expire device key ~62
Expire a device's node key, forcing it to re-authenticate — a security response to a compromised or lost device. Tailscale REST: POST /device/{deviceId}/expire.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| deviceId | string | yes | The device id. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_get_device Get device ~70
Get a single device by id. Tailscale REST: GET /device/{deviceId}.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| deviceId | string | yes | The device id. |
| fields | string | – | Field set — 'all' returns all fields incl. posture attributes and routes; 'default' is the standard subset. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_get_dns_preferences Get DNS preferences ~44
Get the tailnet's DNS preferences (e.g. whether MagicDNS is enabled). Tailscale REST: GET /tailnet/{tailnet}/dns/preferences.
Input schema present but exposes no named parameters.
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_get_key Get key ~60
Get details of a single auth key / API access token by id (capabilities, expiry, usage). Tailscale REST: GET /tailnet/{tailnet}/keys/{keyId}.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| keyId | string | yes | The key id. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_get_policy_file Get policy file ~76
Get the tailnet's ACL / policy file (returned as JSON via the Accept header, not HuJSON). Tailscale REST: GET /tailnet/{tailnet}/acl.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| details | boolean | – | If true, include metadata about the policy file (e.g. when and by whom it was last updated). |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_get_split_dns Get split DNS ~48
Get the tailnet's split-DNS configuration — a map of domain → nameservers. Tailscale REST: GET /tailnet/{tailnet}/dns/split-dns.
Input schema present but exposes no named parameters.
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_get_tailnet_settings Get tailnet settings ~44
Get the tailnet's settings (device approval, key expiry, posture, etc.). Tailscale REST: GET /tailnet/{tailnet}/settings.
Input schema present but exposes no named parameters.
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_get_user Get user ~40
Get a single user by id. Tailscale REST: GET /users/{userId}.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| userId | string | yes | The user id. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_list_device_routes List device routes ~49
List the subnet routes a device advertises and which are enabled. Tailscale REST: GET /device/{deviceId}/routes.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| deviceId | string | yes | The device id. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_list_devices List devices ~76
List all devices in the tailnet (name, addresses, OS, last seen, tags, etc.). Tailscale REST: GET /tailnet/{tailnet}/devices.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| fields | string | – | Field set — 'all' returns all fields incl. posture attributes and routes; 'default' is the standard subset. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_list_dns_nameservers List DNS nameservers ~42
List the global DNS nameservers configured for the tailnet. Tailscale REST: GET /tailnet/{tailnet}/dns/nameservers.
Input schema present but exposes no named parameters.
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_list_dns_searchpaths List DNS search paths ~44
List the DNS search paths (search domains) configured for the tailnet. Tailscale REST: GET /tailnet/{tailnet}/dns/searchpaths.
Input schema present but exposes no named parameters.
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_list_keys List keys ~73
List auth keys and API access tokens for the tailnet. Tailscale REST: GET /tailnet/{tailnet}/keys.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| all | boolean | – | If true, returns all keys, tokens and OAuth clients in the tailnet, not just the caller's own (requires appropriate scope). Default false. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_list_users List users ~93
List users of the tailnet, optionally filtered by type, role or status. Tailscale REST: GET /tailnet/{tailnet}/users.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| role | string | – | Filter by role, e.g. owner, admin, member, it-admin, network-admin, billing-admin, auditor. |
| status | string | – | Filter by user status. |
| type | string | – | Filter by user type. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_list_webhooks List webhooks ~37
List the webhook endpoints configured for the tailnet. Tailscale REST: GET /tailnet/{tailnet}/webhooks.
Input schema present but exposes no named parameters.
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_set_device_name Set device name ~56
Set (rename) a device's name. Tailscale REST: POST /device/{deviceId}/name.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| deviceId | string | yes | The device id. |
| name | string | yes | The new device name. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_set_device_routes Set device routes ~102
Set the subnet routes ENABLED for a device (from the routes it advertises). REPLACES the enabled set. Tailscale REST: POST /device/{deviceId}/routes.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| deviceId | string | yes | The device id. |
| routes | array | yes | The set of subnet routes (CIDRs) to ENABLE for this device, e.g. ["10.0.0.0/24"]. REPLACES the enabled set. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
tailscale_set_device_tags Set device tags ~80
Set a device's ACL tags. REPLACES the device's existing tags. Tailscale REST: POST /device/{deviceId}/tags.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| deviceId | string | yes | The device id. |
| tags | array | yes | ACL tags to apply, e.g. ["tag:server"]. REPLACES the device's existing tags. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
What is the io.usefulapi/tailscale MCP server?
io.usefulapi/tailscale is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as io.usefulapi/tailscale. Read devices, users, keys, ACLs and DNS for a tailnet; manage devices, routes and auth keys. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://tailscale.usefulapi.io/mcp).
Is the io.usefulapi/tailscale MCP server safe to use?
io.usefulapi/tailscale scores 86 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.
What tools does the io.usefulapi/tailscale MCP server expose?
io.usefulapi/tailscale exposes 22 tools: tailscale_list_devices, tailscale_get_device, tailscale_list_device_routes, tailscale_list_keys, tailscale_get_key, and 17 more. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 1,451 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.
Does the io.usefulapi/tailscale MCP server require authentication?
Yes. io.usefulapi/tailscale asked us for credentials when we connected, so you will need to authorise it in your MCP client before it can do anything.
Is the io.usefulapi/tailscale MCP server still maintained?
io.usefulapi/tailscale is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 21 September 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.