chore: bump version to 1.3.0

Enable non-localhost connections by specifying allowed IPs/CIDRs in
settings (e.g., 100.64.0.0/10 for Tailscale). Server auto-binds to
0.0.0.0 when remote IPs are configured, with three-layer validation
(source IP, CORS, host header) plus mandatory Bearer token auth.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,20 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 
 ---
 
+## [1.3.0] - 2026-02-06
+
+### Added
+- **Remote IP access**: New `allowedIPs` setting accepts comma-separated IPs and CIDR ranges (e.g., `100.64.0.0/10` for Tailscale) to allow non-localhost connections
+  - Server automatically binds to `0.0.0.0` when remote IPs are configured, otherwise stays on `127.0.0.1`
+  - Three-layer network validation: source IP check, CORS origin check, and host header validation
+  - Bearer token authentication remains mandatory for all connections
+  - Localhost is always implicitly allowed — cannot lock out local access
+  - IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses (`::ffff:x.x.x.x`) handled transparently
+  - New `network-utils` module with CIDR parsing and IP matching (no external dependencies)
+  - Security warning displayed in settings when remote access is enabled
+
+---
+
 ## [1.2.0] - 2026-01-31
 
 ### Added

docs/plans/2026-02-06-remote-ip-access-design.md

@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+# Remote IP access for MCP server
+
+Date: 2026-02-06
+
+## Problem
+
+The MCP server is hardcoded to localhost-only access (bind address, CORS, host header validation). This prevents use cases where Obsidian runs in a Docker container or remote machine and MCP clients connect over a Tailscale VPN or other private network.
+
+## Design
+
+### New setting: `allowedIPs`
+
+A comma-separated string of IPs and CIDR ranges. Default: `""` (empty).
+
+- When empty: server behaves exactly as today (binds to `127.0.0.1`, localhost-only)
+- When populated: server binds to `0.0.0.0` and allows connections from listed IPs/CIDRs
+- Localhost (`127.0.0.1`) is always implicitly allowed regardless of the setting
+- Examples: `100.64.0.0/10`, `192.168.1.50`, `10.0.0.0/8`
+
+### Middleware changes (src/server/middleware.ts)
+
+Three layers are updated:
+
+1. **Source IP validation (new)** - Checks `req.socket.remoteAddress` against the allow-list before auth. Rejects connections from unlisted IPs with 403. Localhost always passes.
+
+2. **CORS policy update** - Extends the origin check to allow origins whose hostname matches the allow-list, in addition to the existing localhost regex.
+
+3. **Host header validation update** - Extends to accept Host headers matching allowed IPs, in addition to localhost.
+
+All three use a shared `isIPAllowed()` utility.
+
+### Server bind (src/server/mcp-server.ts)
+
+The `start()` method computes bind address dynamically:
+- `allowedIPs` non-empty (trimmed) -> bind `0.0.0.0`
+- `allowedIPs` empty -> bind `127.0.0.1` (current behavior)
+
+### Network utilities (src/utils/network-utils.ts)
+
+New file (~40 lines) exporting:
+
+- `parseAllowedIPs(setting: string): AllowedIPEntry[]` - Parses comma-separated string into structured list of individual IPs and CIDR ranges
+- `isIPAllowed(ip: string, allowList: AllowedIPEntry[]): boolean` - Checks if an IP matches any entry. Handles IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses (`::ffff:x.x.x.x`) that Node.js uses for `req.socket.remoteAddress`
+
+CIDR matching is standard bit arithmetic, no external dependencies needed.
+
+### Settings UI (src/settings.ts)
+
+New text field below the Port setting:
+- Name: "Allowed IPs"
+- Description: "Comma-separated IPs or CIDR ranges allowed to connect (e.g., 100.64.0.0/10, 192.168.1.50). Leave empty for localhost only. Restart required."
+- Placeholder: `100.64.0.0/10, 192.168.1.0/24`
+- Shows restart warning when changed while server is running
+- Shows security note when non-empty: "Server is accessible from non-localhost IPs. Ensure your API key is kept secure."
+
+Status display updates to show actual bind address (`0.0.0.0` vs `127.0.0.1`).
+
+Generated client configs (Windsurf/Claude Code) stay as `127.0.0.1` - users adjust manually for remote access.
+
+### Settings type (src/types/settings-types.ts)
+
+Add `allowedIPs: string` to `MCPServerSettings` with default `""`.
+
+## Security model
+
+- **Auth is still mandatory.** IP allow-list is defense-in-depth, not a replacement for Bearer token authentication.
+- **Localhost always allowed.** Cannot accidentally lock out local access.
+- **Empty default = current behavior.** Zero-change upgrade for existing users. Feature is opt-in.
+- **Three-layer validation:** Source IP check + CORS + Host header validation + Bearer auth.
+
+## Testing
+
+New file `tests/network-utils.test.ts`:
+- Individual IP match/mismatch
+- CIDR range matching (e.g., `100.64.0.0/10` matches `100.100.1.1`)
+- IPv4-mapped IPv6 handling (`::ffff:192.168.1.1`)
+- Edge cases: empty string, malformed entries, extra whitespace
+- Localhost always allowed regardless of list contents
+
+## Files changed
+
+1. `src/types/settings-types.ts` - Add `allowedIPs` field
+2. `src/utils/network-utils.ts` - New file: CIDR parsing + IP matching
+3. `src/server/middleware.ts` - Update CORS, host validation, add source IP check
+4. `src/server/mcp-server.ts` - Dynamic bind address
+5. `src/settings.ts` - New text field + security note
+6. `tests/network-utils.test.ts` - New test file

manifest.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
 	"id": "mcp-server",
 	"name": "MCP Server",
-	"version": "1.2.1",
+	"version": "1.3.0",
 	"minAppVersion": "0.15.0",
 	"description": "Exposes vault operations via Model Context Protocol (MCP) over HTTP.",
 	"author": "William Ballou",

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "mcp-server",
-	"version": "1.2.1",
+	"version": "1.3.0",
 	"description": "MCP (Model Context Protocol) server plugin - exposes vault operations via HTTP",
 	"main": "main.js",
 	"scripts": {

src/server/mcp-server.ts

@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ export class MCPServer {
 	public async start(): Promise<void> {
 		return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
 			try {
-				this.server = this.app.listen(this.settings.port, '127.0.0.1', () => {
+				const bindAddress = this.settings.allowedIPs?.trim() ? '0.0.0.0' : '127.0.0.1';
+				this.server = this.app.listen(this.settings.port, bindAddress, () => {
 					resolve();
 				});
 

src/server/middleware.ts

@@ -3,12 +3,24 @@ import express from 'express';
 import cors from 'cors';
 import { MCPServerSettings } from '../types/settings-types';
 import { ErrorCodes, JSONRPCResponse } from '../types/mcp-types';
+import { parseAllowedIPs, isIPAllowed } from '../utils/network-utils';
 
 export function setupMiddleware(app: Express, settings: MCPServerSettings, createErrorResponse: (id: string | number | null, code: number, message: string) => JSONRPCResponse): void {
+	const allowList = parseAllowedIPs(settings.allowedIPs);
+
 	// Parse JSON bodies
 	app.use(express.json());
 
-	// CORS configuration - Always enabled with fixed localhost-only policy
+	// Source IP validation - reject connections from unlisted IPs before any other checks
+	app.use((req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
+		const remoteAddress = req.socket.remoteAddress;
+		if (remoteAddress && !isIPAllowed(remoteAddress, allowList)) {
+			return res.status(403).json(createErrorResponse(null, ErrorCodes.InvalidRequest, 'Connection from this IP is not allowed'));
+		}
+		next();
+	});
+
+	// CORS configuration
 	const corsOptions = {
 		origin: (origin: string | undefined, callback: (err: Error | null, allow?: boolean) => void) => {
 			// Allow requests with no origin (like CLI clients, curl, MCP SDKs)
@@ -19,10 +31,22 @@ export function setupMiddleware(app: Express, settings: MCPServerSettings, creat
 			// Allow localhost and 127.0.0.1 on any port, both HTTP and HTTPS
 			const localhostRegex = /^https?:\/\/(localhost|127\.0\.0\.1)(:\d+)?$/;
 			if (localhostRegex.test(origin)) {
-				callback(null, true);
+				return callback(null, true);
-			} else {
-				callback(new Error('Not allowed by CORS'));
 			}
+
+			// Check if origin hostname is in the allow-list
+			if (allowList.length > 0) {
+				try {
+					const url = new URL(origin);
+					if (isIPAllowed(url.hostname, allowList)) {
+						return callback(null, true);
+					}
+				} catch {
+					// Invalid origin URL, fall through to reject
+				}
+			}
+
+			callback(new Error('Not allowed by CORS'));
 		},
 		credentials: true
 	};
@@ -44,15 +68,27 @@ export function setupMiddleware(app: Express, settings: MCPServerSettings, creat
 		next();
 	});
 
-	// Origin validation for security (DNS rebinding protection)
+	// Host header validation for security (DNS rebinding protection)
 	app.use((req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
 		const host = req.headers.host;
 
-		// Only allow localhost connections
+		if (!host) {
-		if (host && !host.startsWith('localhost') && !host.startsWith('127.0.0.1')) {
+			return next();
-			return res.status(403).json(createErrorResponse(null, ErrorCodes.InvalidRequest, 'Only localhost connections allowed'));
 		}
 
-		next();
+		// Strip port from host header
+		const hostname = host.split(':')[0];
+
+		// Always allow localhost
+		if (hostname === 'localhost' || hostname === '127.0.0.1') {
+			return next();
+		}
+
+		// Check against allow-list
+		if (allowList.length > 0 && isIPAllowed(hostname, allowList)) {
+			return next();
+		}
+
+		return res.status(403).json(createErrorResponse(null, ErrorCodes.InvalidRequest, 'Connection from this host is not allowed'));
 	});
 }

src/settings.ts

@@ -138,9 +138,10 @@ export class MCPServerSettingTab extends PluginSettingTab {
 		const statusEl = containerEl.createEl('div', {cls: 'mcp-server-status'});
 		const isRunning = this.plugin.mcpServer?.isRunning() ?? false;
 
+		const bindAddress = this.plugin.settings.allowedIPs?.trim() ? '0.0.0.0' : '127.0.0.1';
 		statusEl.createEl('p', {
 			text: isRunning
-				? `✅ Running on http://127.0.0.1:${this.plugin.settings.port}/mcp`
+				? `✅ Running on http://${bindAddress}:${this.plugin.settings.port}/mcp`
 				: '⭕ Stopped'
 		});
 
@@ -203,6 +204,29 @@ export class MCPServerSettingTab extends PluginSettingTab {
 					}
 				}));
 
+		// Allowed IPs setting
+		new Setting(containerEl)
+			.setName('Allowed IPs')
+			.setDesc('Comma-separated IPs or CIDR ranges allowed to connect remotely (e.g., 100.64.0.0/10, 192.168.1.50). Leave empty for localhost only. Restart required.')
+			.addText(text => text
+				.setPlaceholder('100.64.0.0/10, 192.168.1.0/24')
+				.setValue(this.plugin.settings.allowedIPs)
+				.onChange(async (value) => {
+					this.plugin.settings.allowedIPs = value;
+					await this.plugin.saveSettings();
+					if (this.plugin.mcpServer?.isRunning()) {
+						new Notice('⚠️ Server restart required for allowed IPs changes to take effect');
+					}
+				}));
+
+		// Security note when remote access is enabled
+		if (this.plugin.settings.allowedIPs?.trim()) {
+			const securityNote = containerEl.createEl('div', {cls: 'mcp-security-note'});
+			securityNote.createEl('p', {
+				text: '⚠️ Server is accessible from non-localhost IPs. Ensure your API key is kept secure.'
+			});
+		}
+
 		// Authentication (Always Enabled)
 		const authDetails = containerEl.createEl('details', {cls: 'mcp-auth-section'});
 		const authSummary = authDetails.createEl('summary', {cls: 'mcp-auth-summary'});

src/types/settings-types.ts

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ export interface MCPServerSettings {
 	port: number;
 	apiKey: string; // Now required, not optional
 	enableAuth: boolean; // Will be removed in future, kept for migration
+	allowedIPs: string; // Comma-separated IPs/CIDRs allowed to connect remotely
 }
 
 export interface NotificationSettings {
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_SETTINGS: MCPPluginSettings = {
 	port: 3000,
 	apiKey: '', // Will be auto-generated on first load
 	enableAuth: true, // Always true now
+	allowedIPs: '', // Empty = localhost only
 	autoStart: false,
 	// Notification defaults
 	notificationsEnabled: false,

src/utils/network-utils.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+export interface AllowedIPEntry {
+	type: 'ip' | 'cidr';
+	ip: number; // 32-bit numeric IPv4
+	mask: number; // 32-bit subnet mask (only for CIDR)
+}
+
+/**
+ * Convert dotted IPv4 string to 32-bit number.
+ * Returns null if invalid.
+ */
+function ipToNumber(ip: string): number | null {
+	const parts = ip.split('.');
+	if (parts.length !== 4) return null;
+	let num = 0;
+	for (const part of parts) {
+		const octet = parseInt(part, 10);
+		if (isNaN(octet) || octet < 0 || octet > 255) return null;
+		num = (num << 8) | octet;
+	}
+	return num >>> 0; // Ensure unsigned
+}
+
+/**
+ * Strip IPv4-mapped IPv6 prefix (::ffff:) if present.
+ */
+function normalizeIP(ip: string): string {
+	if (ip.startsWith('::ffff:')) {
+		return ip.slice(7);
+	}
+	return ip;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Parse a comma-separated string of IPs and CIDRs into structured entries.
+ * Invalid entries are silently skipped.
+ */
+export function parseAllowedIPs(setting: string): AllowedIPEntry[] {
+	if (!setting || !setting.trim()) return [];
+
+	const entries: AllowedIPEntry[] = [];
+	for (const raw of setting.split(',')) {
+		const trimmed = raw.trim();
+		if (!trimmed) continue;
+
+		if (trimmed.includes('/')) {
+			const [ipStr, prefixStr] = trimmed.split('/');
+			const ip = ipToNumber(ipStr);
+			const prefix = parseInt(prefixStr, 10);
+			if (ip === null || isNaN(prefix) || prefix < 0 || prefix > 32) continue;
+			const mask = prefix === 0 ? 0 : (~0 << (32 - prefix)) >>> 0;
+			entries.push({ type: 'cidr', ip: (ip & mask) >>> 0, mask });
+		} else {
+			const ip = ipToNumber(trimmed);
+			if (ip === null) continue;
+			entries.push({ type: 'ip', ip, mask: 0xFFFFFFFF });
+		}
+	}
+	return entries;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Check if an IP address is allowed by the given allow-list.
+ * Localhost (127.0.0.1) is always allowed.
+ */
+export function isIPAllowed(ip: string, allowList: AllowedIPEntry[]): boolean {
+	const normalized = normalizeIP(ip);
+
+	// Localhost is always allowed
+	if (normalized === '127.0.0.1' || normalized === 'localhost') return true;
+
+	if (allowList.length === 0) return false;
+
+	const num = ipToNumber(normalized);
+	if (num === null) return false;
+
+	for (const entry of allowList) {
+		if (entry.type === 'ip') {
+			if (num === entry.ip) return true;
+		} else {
+			if (((num & entry.mask) >>> 0) === entry.ip) return true;
+		}
+	}
+	return false;
+}

tests/network-utils.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+/**
+ * Unit tests for network-utils
+ */
+
+import { parseAllowedIPs, isIPAllowed, AllowedIPEntry } from '../src/utils/network-utils';
+
+describe('parseAllowedIPs', () => {
+	test('should return empty array for empty string', () => {
+		expect(parseAllowedIPs('')).toEqual([]);
+	});
+
+	test('should return empty array for whitespace-only string', () => {
+		expect(parseAllowedIPs('   ')).toEqual([]);
+	});
+
+	test('should parse a single IP', () => {
+		const result = parseAllowedIPs('192.168.1.1');
+		expect(result).toHaveLength(1);
+		expect(result[0].type).toBe('ip');
+	});
+
+	test('should parse multiple comma-separated IPs', () => {
+		const result = parseAllowedIPs('192.168.1.1, 10.0.0.5');
+		expect(result).toHaveLength(2);
+	});
+
+	test('should parse CIDR notation', () => {
+		const result = parseAllowedIPs('100.64.0.0/10');
+		expect(result).toHaveLength(1);
+		expect(result[0].type).toBe('cidr');
+	});
+
+	test('should parse mixed IPs and CIDRs', () => {
+		const result = parseAllowedIPs('192.168.1.1, 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.5');
+		expect(result).toHaveLength(3);
+		expect(result[0].type).toBe('ip');
+		expect(result[1].type).toBe('cidr');
+		expect(result[2].type).toBe('ip');
+	});
+
+	test('should handle extra whitespace', () => {
+		const result = parseAllowedIPs('  192.168.1.1 ,  10.0.0.5  ');
+		expect(result).toHaveLength(2);
+	});
+
+	test('should skip invalid entries', () => {
+		const result = parseAllowedIPs('192.168.1.1, invalid, 10.0.0.5');
+		expect(result).toHaveLength(2);
+	});
+
+	test('should skip invalid CIDR prefix', () => {
+		const result = parseAllowedIPs('10.0.0.0/33');
+		expect(result).toHaveLength(0);
+	});
+
+	test('should skip entries with invalid octets', () => {
+		const result = parseAllowedIPs('256.0.0.1');
+		expect(result).toHaveLength(0);
+	});
+
+	test('should handle trailing commas', () => {
+		const result = parseAllowedIPs('192.168.1.1,');
+		expect(result).toHaveLength(1);
+	});
+});
+
+describe('isIPAllowed', () => {
+	test('should always allow 127.0.0.1 with empty list', () => {
+		expect(isIPAllowed('127.0.0.1', [])).toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	test('should always allow localhost with empty list', () => {
+		expect(isIPAllowed('localhost', [])).toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	test('should always allow IPv4-mapped localhost', () => {
+		expect(isIPAllowed('::ffff:127.0.0.1', [])).toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	test('should reject non-localhost with empty list', () => {
+		expect(isIPAllowed('192.168.1.1', [])).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('should match exact IP', () => {
+		const allowList = parseAllowedIPs('192.168.1.50');
+		expect(isIPAllowed('192.168.1.50', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('192.168.1.51', allowList)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('should match CIDR range', () => {
+		const allowList = parseAllowedIPs('10.0.0.0/8');
+		expect(isIPAllowed('10.0.0.1', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('10.255.255.255', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('11.0.0.1', allowList)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('should match Tailscale CGNAT range (100.64.0.0/10)', () => {
+		const allowList = parseAllowedIPs('100.64.0.0/10');
+		expect(isIPAllowed('100.64.0.1', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('100.100.50.25', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('100.127.255.255', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('100.128.0.0', allowList)).toBe(false);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('100.63.255.255', allowList)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('should handle IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses', () => {
+		const allowList = parseAllowedIPs('192.168.1.50');
+		expect(isIPAllowed('::ffff:192.168.1.50', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('::ffff:192.168.1.51', allowList)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('should handle IPv4-mapped IPv6 with CIDR', () => {
+		const allowList = parseAllowedIPs('10.0.0.0/8');
+		expect(isIPAllowed('::ffff:10.5.3.1', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('::ffff:11.0.0.1', allowList)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('should match against multiple entries', () => {
+		const allowList = parseAllowedIPs('192.168.1.0/24, 10.0.0.5');
+		expect(isIPAllowed('192.168.1.100', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('10.0.0.5', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('10.0.0.6', allowList)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('should handle /32 CIDR as single IP', () => {
+		const allowList = parseAllowedIPs('192.168.1.1/32');
+		expect(isIPAllowed('192.168.1.1', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('192.168.1.2', allowList)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('should handle /0 CIDR as allow-all', () => {
+		const allowList = parseAllowedIPs('0.0.0.0/0');
+		expect(isIPAllowed('1.2.3.4', allowList)).toBe(true);
+		expect(isIPAllowed('255.255.255.255', allowList)).toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	test('should return false for invalid IP input', () => {
+		const allowList = parseAllowedIPs('10.0.0.0/8');
+		expect(isIPAllowed('not-an-ip', allowList)).toBe(false);
+	});
+});

versions.json

@@ -4,5 +4,7 @@
 	"1.1.0": "0.15.0",
 	"1.1.1": "0.15.0",
 	"1.1.2": "0.15.0",
-	"1.1.3": "0.15.0"
+	"1.1.3": "0.15.0",
+	"1.2.0": "0.15.0",
+	"1.3.0": "0.15.0"
 }