github/github-mcp-server · error

failed to get GitHub client: %w

Error message

failed to get GitHub client: %w

What it means

The list_global_security_advisories tool failed to construct a go-github client. Global advisories need no repo, but the tool still requires a working client: with RequestDeps this error means the request context has no token info or the REST/upload URL derivation from configured hosts failed. It is a configuration/auth failure that happens before any Advisory Database call.

Source

Thrown at pkg/github/security_advisories.go:92

						Type:        "string",
						Description: "Filter by publish date or date range (ISO 8601 date or range).",
					},
					"updated": {
						Type:        "string",
						Description: "Filter by update date or date range (ISO 8601 date or range).",
					},
					"modified": {
						Type:        "string",
						Description: "Filter by publish or update date or date range (ISO 8601 date or range).",
					},
				},
			},
		},
		[]scopes.Scope{scopes.SecurityEvents},
		func(ctx context.Context, deps ToolDependencies, _ *mcp.CallToolRequest, args map[string]any) (*mcp.CallToolResult, any, error) {
			client, err := deps.GetClient(ctx)
			if err != nil {
				return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get GitHub client: %w", err)
			}

			ghsaID, err := OptionalParam[string](args, "ghsaId")
			if err != nil {
				return utils.NewToolResultError(fmt.Sprintf("invalid ghsaId: %v", err)), nil, nil
			}

			typ, err := OptionalParam[string](args, "type")
			if err != nil {
				return utils.NewToolResultError(fmt.Sprintf("invalid type: %v", err)), nil, nil
			}

			cveID, err := OptionalParam[string](args, "cveId")
			if err != nil {
				return utils.NewToolResultError(fmt.Sprintf("invalid cveId: %v", err)), nil, nil
			}

			eco, err := OptionalParam[string](args, "ecosystem")

View on GitHub (pinned to 0ea1f775a7)

Solutions

1. Ensure every request carries a valid token or run stdio mode with GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN set
2. Verify host-related env vars parse (full scheme + host) and point at the intended GitHub instance
3. Prefer BaseDeps with a pre-built client when embedding without per-request tokens

// Verify token + host wiring before exposing advisory tools
if os.Getenv("GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN") == "" && !remoteAuthConfigured {
    return errors.New("no GitHub token configured for advisory tools")
}
u, err := url.Parse(getEnvOr("GITHUB_API_URL", "https://api.github.com/"))
if err != nil || u.Host == "" {
    return errors.New("GITHUB_API_URL is not a valid absolute URL")
}

func isClientSetupErr(err error) bool {
	return err != nil && (strings.Contains(err.Error(), "no token info in context") ||
		strings.Contains(err.Error(), "failed to get base REST URL"))
}

client, err := deps.GetClient(ctx)
if err != nil {
    if isClientSetupErr(err) {
        return nil, nil, utils.NewToolResultError("server auth/host misconfiguration: " + err.Error())
    }
    return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get GitHub client: %w", err)
}

When it happens

Trigger: Remote mode without Authorization on the request; GITHUB_HOST/GITHUB_ENTERPRISE_URL/GITHUB_UPLOAD_URL misconfigured so apiHosts.BaseRESTURL() or UploadURL() errors; go-github.NewClient failure.

Common situations: Unauthenticated HTTP transport pointed at the server; env vars set in one shell but not in the service unit/container; mixed stdio/remote configuration.

Related errors

• failed to get GitHub client: %w
• failed to get GitHub client: %w
• failed to get repo access cache: %w
• lockdown cache is not configured
• failed to get GitHub client: %w

AI-assisted analysis of github/github-mcp-server@0ea1f775a7 (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f32d79638509e4b4. Report an issue: GitHub.