mirror of
https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui.git
synced 2026-03-09 23:35:09 -05:00
feat: Enable per-user authentication in MCP for personalized tool access or consider implementing a proper MCP Client #5262
No Assignees
Notifications
Due Date
No due date set.
Dependencies
No dependencies set.
Reference: github-starred/open-webui#5262
Reference in New Issue
Block a user
Delete Branch "%!s()"
Deleting a branch is permanent. Although the deleted branch may continue to exist for a short time before it actually gets removed, it CANNOT be undone in most cases. Continue?
Originally created by @florianchappaz on GitHub (May 21, 2025).
Check Existing Issues
Problem Description
Hi team,
Atlassian recently released their Remote MCP Server, which uses OAuth authentication and ensures that users only access the Atlassian data they are permitted to see. This is a significant improvement for privacy and security, and it enables each user to connect their own Atlassian account when using AI tools.
However, when integrating this with OpenWebUI via the mcpo server, there is a limitation: the authentication workflow for Atlassian's Remote MCP is triggered at the server level when the MCP client starts. This means a single MCP client instance is shared across all OpenWebUI users, resulting in a shared authentication context. As a result, it is not possible for each user to authenticate with their own Atlassian account and access only their own data.
This architecture prevents leveraging the per-user authentication and access controls that Atlassian's Remote MCP Server is designed to provide.
With the rise of remote MCP servers from major vendors, some of the arguments in OpenWebUI's FAQ for preferring OpenAPI over MCP—such as authentication and security limitations—are becoming outdated. The new remote MCP approach offers robust, standards-based authentication and user isolation, which are essential for enterprise deployments.
Desired Solution you'd like
Please consider updating OpenWebUI and/or mcpo to support a per-user MCP client model. Ideally, each OpenWebUI user session should be able to initiate its own authentication flow with the Atlassian Remote MCP Server, so that users can access their own Atlassian data securely and privately. This would align OpenWebUI with the latest capabilities of remote MCP servers and meet enterprise security requirements.
Alternatives Considered
No response
Additional Context
I hesitated a bit creating the ticket here or in the mcpo repo, but I think there is an important architectural choice to make here.
It is an opportunity to question the previous reasons to privilege OpenAPI over MCP, and even consider the implementation of a proper MCP client in OpenWebUI.
Thank you!