github/github-mcp-server · info

failed to marshal alerts: %w

Error message

failed to marshal alerts: %w

What it means

Returned if json.Marshal fails on the []*github.SecretScanningAlert slice. Slices of plain data structs marshal without error, so this branch is defensive dead code, same as the single-alert marshal error. An actual occurrence would point to an incompatible go-github type change, not usage.

Source

Thrown at pkg/github/secret_scanning.go:205

				return ghErrors.NewGitHubAPIErrorResponse(ctx,
					fmt.Sprintf("failed to list alerts for repository '%s/%s'", owner, repo),
					resp,
					err,
				), nil, nil
			}
			defer func() { _ = resp.Body.Close() }()

			if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
				body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
				if err != nil {
					return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read response body: %w", err)
				}
				return ghErrors.NewGitHubAPIStatusErrorResponse(ctx, "failed to list alerts", resp, body), nil, nil
			}

			r, err := json.Marshal(alerts)
			if err != nil {
				return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal alerts: %w", err)
			}

			result := utils.NewToolResultText(string(r))
			// Secret scanning alerts are access-restricted regardless of repo
			// visibility and surface the matched secret material itself, so the
			// label is always private-untrusted.
			result = attachStaticIFCLabel(ctx, deps, result, ifc.LabelSecurityAlert())
			return result, nil, nil
		},
	)
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 0ea1f775a7)

Solutions

1. No runtime action needed - report upstream if it ever fires, including the go-github version

if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "failed to marshal alerts") {
    // not reachable with JSON-safe go-github structs: treat as upstream bug
    log.Error("impossible marshal failure on SecretScanningAlert list", "err", err)
}

When it happens

Trigger: No realistic API call produces this; the payload is a slice of JSON-safe structs.

Common situations: Not observed in practice.

Related errors

• failed to marshal alert: %w
• failed to marshal advisories: %w
• GitHub App authentication and GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN a
• GitHub App ID or client ID is required (GITHUB_APP_ID)
• repo is required

AI-assisted analysis of github/github-mcp-server@0ea1f775a7 (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7bf1c41e12e4d454. Report an issue: GitHub.