Paper Distill MCP

MCP server · PyPI · ★ 68 · graded 2026-10-24Source linked

Academic paper search across 11 sources with AI curation, ranked push, Zotero and Obsidian support.

No outside reports on file

Paper Distill MCP reads local files; restrict its folder reach, network access, and credentials before installing.

Based on public adoption and transparency signals as of Oct 24, 2026. Our opinion, not a code audit or security guarantee.

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What it can access

Local filesReads & writes local foldersREVIEW
Command executionRuns shell or system commandsREVIEW
Network reachConnects to outside service APINOTED
CredentialsNo API token requiredLOW
Package sourcePyPI (paper-distill-mcp)PUBLIC

Inferred from this listing’s public package details and description. Check the project’s source before installing.

Install

uvx paper-distill-mcp

All setup options ↓

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Everything known

We found nothing about this project in the sources we read (last checked 2026-10-30). That does not mean it has no problems.

0 incidents · 0 advisories · 0 news articles · 0 community threads · checked 2026-10-30

Popularity grade: C (from public signals such as stars and downloads, not a code review). Graded 2026-10-24.

Sources we read: OSV, GitHub Advisory Database, CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, 44 security news feeds and our incident library. Last checked 2026-10-30.

Check a specific version →

About Paper Distill MCP

Paper Distill MCP is an MCP server focused on Web & browsing and Files & documents: Academic paper search across 11 sources with AI curation, ranked push, Zotero and Obsidian support.

It is published on PyPI as paper-distill-mcp and hosted on GitHub at Eclipse-Cj/paper-distill-mcp (68 GitHub stars, 73 PyPI downloads, last repository push on 2026-03-24). Based on its public metadata, its operational scope includes: reads local files.

Setup

Check these steps against the project’s own instructions before running anything.

Run the PyPI package paper-distill-mcp in an isolated environment:

bash

uvx paper-distill-mcp

See https://github.com/Eclipse-Cj/paper-distill-mcp (opens external site) for required environment variables.

Why this grade

CC — Moderate risk signals

Signal-based grade (2/7 points): public source code. This reflects adoption and transparency, not a code review.

Popularity and upkeep

34/100

GitHub stars: 68
PyPI downloads: 73
Listing last refreshed: 2026-10-30

These are public popularity signals, not a maintenance check. Look at the repository’s commit history and open issues.

Risks to watch for

Local file read access: Reads local documents or database files. Point it only at the specific files needed for the task so sensitive workspace files remain out of reach.
Dependency & version pinning: Distributed via PyPI (paper-distill-mcp). Pin an exact release version or commit SHA rather than floating tags so upstream updates are reviewed first.

How to lower the risk

Least-privilege permissions

Give it access only to the specific folders, accounts or projects it needs, never your whole drive or admin account.
Use a separate, limited API key or login just for this tool so you can switch it off without affecting anything else.

Network isolation

Run it on a work computer or sandbox account, not one holding personal or company-sensitive data.
If your IT team can, limit which websites and services it is allowed to contact.

Monitoring

Check its activity history or logs weekly at first, and look at what it changed or sent.
Turn on alerts for new logins or unusual usage on any account it connects to.

Red flags to watch for

It asks for more access than its job requires, or prompts you to paste passwords.
It suddenly updates with new owners, or starts contacting unfamiliar websites.

Questions

How do I install Paper Distill MCP?

Run uvx paper-distill-mcp (or pip install paper-distill-mcp) in your terminal, or add the server entry to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json as shown in the Setup section on this page. Full setup docs and environment variables are in github.com/Eclipse-Cj/paper-distill-mcp.

Are there security reports about Paper Distill MCP?

No reports found for this package in our research (last checked 2026-10-30). Paper Distill MCP currently holds Grade C (Moderate risk signals) based on public adoption and transparency signals. Key risk areas to watch include local file read access:, dependency & version pinning:.

Is Paper Distill MCP actively maintained?

Paper Distill MCP has 68 GitHub stars and 73 PyPI downloads, with its latest repository commit pushed on 2026-03-24. Our directory data was last refreshed on 2026-10-30. Check recent commit activity, release tags, and open issues at github.com/Eclipse-Cj/paper-distill-mcp before pinning it in production.

What are alternatives to Paper Distill MCP?

You can compare Paper Distill MCP side by side with other Search, Obsidian MCP servers in the Related tools section on this page, or use the Compare tool on AgentArmorHQ.

Maintain or use Paper Distill MCP? Show its live grade in your GitHub README, docs site, or run a check from the terminal before you install.

AgentArmorHQ Risk Grade C for Paper Distill MCP

GitHub README Markdown:

markdown

[![AgentArmorHQ Risk Grade for Paper Distill MCP](https://agentarmorhq.com/api/badge/eclipse-cj-paper-distill-mcp)](https://agentarmorhq.com/skills/eclipse-cj-paper-distill-mcp)

HTML embed:

html

<a href="https://agentarmorhq.com/skills/eclipse-cj-paper-distill-mcp"><img src="https://agentarmorhq.com/api/badge/eclipse-cj-paper-distill-mcp" alt="AgentArmorHQ Risk Grade for Paper Distill MCP" height="20" /></a>

Terminal check:

terminal

curl -fsSL https://agentarmorhq.com/api/cli | node --input-type=module - check "eclipse-cj-paper-distill-mcp"

Share with your security lead

Need sign-off to use Paper Distill MCP? Copy this note for Slack, a ticket or a pull request.

### AgentArmorHQ Security Review Memo: Paper Distill MCP
- **Listing URL:** https://agentarmorhq.com/skills/eclipse-cj-paper-distill-mcp
- **Type:** App connector
- **Risk Grade:** Grade C (Moderate risk signals)
- **Outside Security Advisories on File:** 0
- **Public Adoption:** 68 GitHub stars

#### Permission & Blast-Radius Signals
- **Local files:** Reads & writes local folders
- **Command execution:** Runs shell or system commands
- **Network reach:** Connects to outside service API
- **Credentials:** No API token required
- **Package source:** PyPI (paper-distill-mcp)

#### Recommended Hardened Setup
- **Command:** `uvx paper-distill-mcp`
- **Controls:** Pin an exact version in `.mcp.json`, scope access to a single workspace folder, and use a least-privilege read-only token where supported.

_Based on public adoption and transparency signals as of Oct 24, 2026. Our opinion, not a code audit or security guarantee._

Key facts

Type: App connector
Publisher: Eclipse-Cj
Source code: github.com/Eclipse-Cj/paper-distill-mcp
Install command: pip install paper-distill-mcp
Est. context load: ~850 tokens / turn (~5 tool schemas, 0.43% of 200k context)
Popularity: 68 GitHub stars, 73 PyPI downloads
Last updated: 2026-10-30
Last graded: 2026-10-24

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