WebDAV MCP Server: Secure CRUD & Enterprise Integration

Key Features of WebDAV MCP Server: Secure CRUD & Enterprise Integration?

• Authentication Support: Handles basic auth, digest auth, and encrypted credentials with bcrypt hashing
• Connection Pooling: Optimizes performance by reusing WebDAV session connections
• MCP Compatibility: Provides ready-to-use tools for file/dir creation, deletion, and content manipulation
• Security Layers: HTTPS support and role-based access control for enterprise-grade deployments
• Diagnostic Logging: Detailed request/response tracking with configurable log levels

Use Cases of WebDAV MCP Server: Secure CRUD & Enterprise Integration?

Common applications include:

• Automating file backups to enterprise WebDAV repositories
• Collaborative document management across geographically distributed teams
• AI-powered content generation workflows with Claude Desktop integration
• Secure API-driven file versioning for development environments
• Compliance-driven data migration between storage systems

FAQ from WebDAV MCP Server: Secure CRUD & Enterprise Integration?

• Q: Does it support HTTPS? Yes, configure webdavConfig.secure = true
• Q: How to encrypt stored passwords? Use ./bcrypt-gen tool to generate hashed credentials
• Q: Can it handle high loads? Connection pooling and request queuing ensure scalability
• Q: How to debug errors? Enable DEBUG=webdav-mcp* node server.js for detailed traces
• Q: Is Claude Desktop integration required? No, but provides pre-configured prompts for rapid implementation

WebDAV MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables CRUD operations on a WebDAV endpoint with basic authentication. This server enables Claude Desktop and other MCP clients to interact with WebDAV file systems through natural language commands.

Features

• Connect to any WebDAV server with optional authentication
• Perform CRUD operations on files and directories
• Expose file operations as MCP resources and tools
• Run via stdio transport (for Claude Desktop integration) or HTTP/SSE transport
• Secure access with optional basic authentication
• Support for bcrypt-encrypted passwords for MCP server authentication (WebDAV passwords must be plain text due to protocol limitations)
• Connection pooling for better performance with WebDAV servers
• Configuration validation using Zod
• Structured logging for better troubleshooting

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or later
• npm or yarn
• WebDAV server (for actual file operations)

Installation

Option 1: Install from npm package

# Global installation
npm install -g webdav-mcp-server

# Or with npx
npx webdav-mcp-server

Option 2: Clone and build from source

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/webdav-mcp-server.git
cd webdav-mcp-server

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the application
npm run build

Option 3: Docker

# Build the Docker image
docker build -t webdav-mcp-server .

# Run the container without authentication
docker run -p 3000:3000 \
  -e WEBDAV_ROOT_URL=http://your-webdav-server \
  -e WEBDAV_ROOT_PATH=/webdav \
  webdav-mcp-server
  
# Run the container with authentication for both WebDAV and MCP server
docker run -p 3000:3000 \
  -e WEBDAV_ROOT_URL=http://your-webdav-server \
  -e WEBDAV_ROOT_PATH=/webdav \
  -e WEBDAV_AUTH_ENABLED=true \
  -e WEBDAV_USERNAME=admin \
  -e WEBDAV_PASSWORD=password \
  -e AUTH_ENABLED=true \
  -e AUTH_USERNAME=user \
  -e AUTH_PASSWORD=pass \
  webdav-mcp-server

Configuration

Create a .env file in the root directory with the following variables:

# WebDAV configuration
WEBDAV_ROOT_URL=http://localhost:4080
WEBDAV_ROOT_PATH=/webdav

# WebDAV authentication (optional)
WEBDAV_AUTH_ENABLED=true
WEBDAV_USERNAME=admin

# WebDAV password must be plain text (required when auth enabled)
# The WebDAV protocol requires sending the actual password to the server
WEBDAV_PASSWORD=password

# Server configuration (for HTTP mode)
SERVER_PORT=3000

# Authentication configuration for MCP server (optional)
AUTH_ENABLED=true
AUTH_USERNAME=user
AUTH_PASSWORD=pass
AUTH_REALM=MCP WebDAV Server

# Auth password for MCP server can be a bcrypt hash (unlike WebDAV passwords)
# AUTH_PASSWORD={bcrypt}$2y$10$CyLKnUwn9fqqKQFEbxpZFuE9mzWR/x8t6TE7.CgAN0oT8I/5jKJBy

Encrypted Passwords for MCP Server Authentication

For enhanced security of the MCP server (not WebDAV connections), you can use bcrypt-encrypted passwords instead of storing them in plain text:

1. Generate a bcrypt hash:

   Using the built-in utility

npm run generate-hash -- yourpassword

# Or with npx
npx webdav-mcp-generate-hash yourpassword

2. Add the hash to your .env file with the {bcrypt} prefix:

   AUTH_PASSWORD={bcrypt}$2y$10$CyLKnUwn9fqqKQFEbxpZFuE9mzWR/x8t6TE7.CgAN0oT8I/5jKJBy

This way, your MCP server password is stored securely. Note that WebDAV passwords must always be in plain text due to protocol requirements.

Usage

Running with stdio transport

This mode is ideal for direct integration with Claude Desktop.

# If installed globally
webdav-mcp-server

# If using npx
npx webdav-mcp-server

# If built from source
node dist/index.js

Running with HTTP/SSE transport

This mode enables the server to be accessed over HTTP with Server-Sent Events for real-time communication.

# If installed globally
webdav-mcp-server --http

# If using npx
npx webdav-mcp-server --http

# If built from source
node dist/index.js --http

Quick Start with Docker Compose

The easiest way to get started with both the WebDAV server and the MCP server is to use Docker Compose:

# Start both WebDAV and MCP servers
cd docker
docker-compose up -d

# This will start:
# - hacdias/webdav server on port 4080 (username: admin, password: admin)
# - MCP server on port 3000 (username: user, password: pass)

This setup uses hacdias/webdav, a simple and standalone WebDAV server written in Go. The configuration for the WebDAV server is stored in webdav_config.yml, which you can modify to adjust permissions, add users, or change other settings.

The WebDAV server stores all files in a Docker volume called webdav_data, which persists across container restarts.

WebDAV Server Configuration

The webdav_config.yml file configures the hacdias/webdav server used in the Docker Compose setup. Here's what you can customize:

# Server address and port
address: 0.0.0.0
port: 6060

# Root data directory
directory: /data

# Enable/disable CORS
cors:
  enabled: true
  # Additional CORS settings...

# Default permissions (C=Create, R=Read, U=Update, D=Delete)
permissions: CRUD

# User definitions
users:
  - username: admin
    password: admin      # Plain text password
    permissions: CRUD    # Full permissions
  
  - username: reader
    password: reader
    permissions: R       # Read-only permissions
    
  # You can also use bcrypt-encrypted passwords
  - username: secure
    password: "{bcrypt}$2y$10$zEP6oofmXFeHaeMfBNLnP.DO8m.H.Mwhd24/TOX2MWLxAExXi4qgi"

For more advanced configuration options, refer to the hacdias/webdav documentation.

Testing

To run the tests:

npm test

Integrating with Claude Desktop

1. Ensure the MCP feature is enabled in Claude Desktop

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "webdav": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "webdav-mcp-server"
            ],
            "env": {
                "WEBDAV_ROOT_URL": "<WEBDAV_ROOT_URL>",
                "WEBDAV_ROOT_PATH": "<WEBDAV_ROOT_PATH>",
                "WEBDAV_USERNAME": "<WEBDAV_USERNAME>",
                "WEBDAV_PASSWORD": "<WEBDAV_PASSWORD>",
                "WEBDAV_AUTH_ENABLED": "true|false"
            }
        }
    }
}

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "webdav": {
            "command": "node",
            "args": [
                "<path to repository>/dist/index.js"
            ],
            "env": {
                "WEBDAV_ROOT_URL": "<WEBDAV_ROOT_URL>",
                "WEBDAV_ROOT_PATH": "<WEBDAV_ROOT_PATH>",
                "WEBDAV_USERNAME": "<WEBDAV_USERNAME>",
                "WEBDAV_PASSWORD": "<WEBDAV_PASSWORD>",
                "WEBDAV_AUTH_ENABLED": "true|false"
            }
        }
    }
}

Available MCP Resources

• webdav://{path}/list - List files in a directory
• webdav://{path}/content - Get file content
• webdav://{path}/info - Get file or directory information

Available MCP Tools

• webdav_create_remote_file - Create a new file on a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_get_remote_file - Retrieve content from a file stored on a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_update_remote_file - Update an existing file on a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_delete_remote_item - Delete a file or directory from a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_create_remote_directory - Create a new directory on a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_move_remote_item - Move or rename a file/directory on a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_copy_remote_item - Copy a file/directory to a new location on a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_list_remote_directory - List files and directories on a remote WebDAV server

Available MCP Prompts

• webdav_create_remote_file - Prompt to create a new file on a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_get_remote_file - Prompt to retrieve content from a remote WebDAV file
• webdav_update_remote_file - Prompt to update a file on a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_delete_remote_item - Prompt to delete a file/directory from a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_list_remote_directory - Prompt to list directory contents on a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_create_remote_directory - Prompt to create a directory on a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_move_remote_item - Prompt to move/rename a file/directory on a remote WebDAV server
• webdav_copy_remote_item - Prompt to copy a file/directory on a remote WebDAV server

Example Queries in Claude

Here are some example queries you can use in Claude Desktop once the WebDAV MCP server is connected:

• "List files on my remote WebDAV server"
• "Create a new text file called notes.txt on my remote WebDAV server with the following content: Hello World"
• "Get the content of document.txt from my remote WebDAV server"
• "Update config.json on my remote WebDAV server with this new configuration"
• "Create a directory called projects on my remote WebDAV server"
• "Copy report.docx to a backup location on my remote WebDAV server"
• "Move the file old_name.txt to new_name.txt on my remote WebDAV server"
• "Delete temp.txt from my remote WebDAV server"

Programmatic Usage

You can also use this package programmatically in your own projects:

import { startWebDAVServer } from 'webdav-mcp-server';

// For stdio transport without authentication
await startWebDAVServer({
  webdavConfig: {
    rootUrl: 'http://your-webdav-server',
    rootPath: '/webdav',
    authEnabled: false
  },
  useHttp: false
});

// For stdio transport with WebDAV authentication (password must be plain text)
await startWebDAVServer({
  webdavConfig: {
    rootUrl: 'http://your-webdav-server',
    rootPath: '/webdav',
    authEnabled: true,
    username: 'admin',
    password: 'password'
  },
  useHttp: false
});

// With bcrypt hash for MCP server password (HTTP auth only)
await startWebDAVServer({
  webdavConfig: {
    rootUrl: 'http://your-webdav-server',
    rootPath: '/webdav',
    authEnabled: true,
    username: 'admin',
    password: 'password' // WebDAV password must be plain text
  },
  useHttp: true,
  httpConfig: {
    port: 3000,
    auth: {
      enabled: true,
      username: 'user',
      password: '{bcrypt}$2y$10$CyLKnUwn9fqqKQFEbxpZFuE9mzWR/x8t6TE7.CgAN0oT8I/5jKJBy'
    }
  }
});

// For HTTP transport with MCP authentication
await startWebDAVServer({
  webdavConfig: {
    rootUrl: 'http://your-webdav-server',
    rootPath: '/webdav',
    authEnabled: true,
    username: 'admin',
    password: 'password'
  },
  useHttp: true,
  httpConfig: {
    port: 3000,
    auth: {
      enabled: true,
      username: 'user',
      password: 'pass',
      realm: 'MCP WebDAV Server'
    }
  }
});

// For HTTP transport without authentication
await startWebDAVServer({
  webdavConfig: {
    rootUrl: 'http://your-webdav-server',
    rootPath: '/webdav',
    authEnabled: false
  },
  useHttp: true,
  httpConfig: {
    port: 3000,
    auth: {
      enabled: false
    }
  }
});

License

MIT