feat(core): add support for admin-forced MCP server installations (#23163)

packages/cli/src/commands/mcp/list.test.ts

@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ describe('mcp list command', () => {
         config: {
           'allowed-server': { url: 'http://allowed' },
         },
+        requiredConfig: {},
       },
     };
 

packages/cli/src/config/config.ts

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import {
   Config,
   resolveToRealPath,
   applyAdminAllowlist,
+  applyRequiredServers,
   getAdminBlockedMcpServersMessage,
   type HookDefinition,
   type HookEventName,
@@ -750,6 +751,25 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(
     }
   }
 
+  // Apply admin-required MCP servers (injected regardless of allowlist)
+  if (mcpEnabled) {
+    const requiredMcpConfig = settings.admin?.mcp?.requiredConfig;
+    if (requiredMcpConfig && Object.keys(requiredMcpConfig).length > 0) {
+      const requiredResult = applyRequiredServers(
+        mcpServers ?? {},
+        requiredMcpConfig,
+      );
+      mcpServers = requiredResult.mcpServers;
+
+      if (requiredResult.requiredServerNames.length > 0) {
+        coreEvents.emitConsoleLog(
+          'info',
+          `Admin-required MCP servers injected: ${requiredResult.requiredServerNames.join(', ')}`,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   const isAcpMode = !!argv.acp || !!argv.experimentalAcp;
   let clientName: string | undefined = undefined;
   if (isAcpMode) {

packages/cli/src/config/settings.test.ts

@@ -2751,6 +2751,28 @@ describe('Settings Loading and Merging', () => {
       expect(loadedSettings.merged.admin?.mcp?.config).toEqual(mcpServers);
     });
 
+    it('should map requiredMcpConfig from remote settings', () => {
+      const loadedSettings = loadSettings(MOCK_WORKSPACE_DIR);
+      const requiredMcpConfig = {
+        'corp-tool': {
+          url: 'https://mcp.corp/tool',
+          type: 'http' as const,
+          trust: true,
+        },
+      };
+
+      loadedSettings.setRemoteAdminSettings({
+        mcpSetting: {
+          mcpEnabled: true,
+          requiredMcpConfig,
+        },
+      });
+
+      expect(loadedSettings.merged.admin?.mcp?.requiredConfig).toEqual(
+        requiredMcpConfig,
+      );
+    });
+
     it('should set skills based on unmanagedCapabilitiesEnabled', () => {
       const loadedSettings = loadSettings();
       loadedSettings.setRemoteAdminSettings({

packages/cli/src/config/settings.ts

@@ -480,6 +480,7 @@ export class LoadedSettings {
     admin.mcp = {
       enabled: mcpSetting?.mcpEnabled,
       config: mcpSetting?.mcpConfig?.mcpServers,
+      requiredConfig: mcpSetting?.requiredMcpConfig,
     };
     admin.extensions = {
       enabled: cliFeatureSetting?.extensionsSetting?.extensionsEnabled,

packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts

@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@
 import {
   DEFAULT_TRUNCATE_TOOL_OUTPUT_THRESHOLD,
   DEFAULT_MODEL_CONFIGS,
+  AuthProviderType,
   type MCPServerConfig,
+  type RequiredMcpServerConfig,
   type BugCommandSettings,
   type TelemetrySettings,
   type AuthType,
@@ -2435,7 +2437,7 @@ const SETTINGS_SCHEMA = {
             category: 'Admin',
             requiresRestart: false,
             default: {} as Record<string, MCPServerConfig>,
-            description: 'Admin-configured MCP servers.',
+            description: 'Admin-configured MCP servers (allowlist).',
             showInDialog: false,
             mergeStrategy: MergeStrategy.REPLACE,
             additionalProperties: {
@@ -2443,6 +2445,20 @@ const SETTINGS_SCHEMA = {
               ref: 'MCPServerConfig',
             },
           },
+          requiredConfig: {
+            type: 'object',
+            label: 'Required MCP Config',
+            category: 'Admin',
+            requiresRestart: false,
+            default: {} as Record<string, RequiredMcpServerConfig>,
+            description: 'Admin-required MCP servers that are always injected.',
+            showInDialog: false,
+            mergeStrategy: MergeStrategy.REPLACE,
+            additionalProperties: {
+              type: 'object',
+              ref: 'RequiredMcpServerConfig',
+            },
+          },
         },
       },
       skills: {
@@ -2567,11 +2583,72 @@ export const SETTINGS_SCHEMA_DEFINITIONS: Record<
         type: 'string',
         description:
           'Authentication provider used for acquiring credentials (for example `dynamic_discovery`).',
-        enum: [
-          'dynamic_discovery',
-          'google_credentials',
-          'service_account_impersonation',
-        ],
+        enum: Object.values(AuthProviderType),
+      },
+      targetAudience: {
+        type: 'string',
+        description:
+          'OAuth target audience (CLIENT_ID.apps.googleusercontent.com).',
+      },
+      targetServiceAccount: {
+        type: 'string',
+        description:
+          'Service account email to impersonate (name@project.iam.gserviceaccount.com).',
+      },
+    },
+  },
+  RequiredMcpServerConfig: {
+    type: 'object',
+    description:
+      'Admin-required MCP server configuration (remote transports only).',
+    additionalProperties: false,
+    properties: {
+      url: {
+        type: 'string',
+        description: 'URL for the required MCP server.',
+      },
+      type: {
+        type: 'string',
+        description: 'Transport type for the required server.',
+        enum: ['sse', 'http'],
+      },
+      headers: {
+        type: 'object',
+        description: 'Additional HTTP headers sent to the server.',
+        additionalProperties: { type: 'string' },
+      },
+      timeout: {
+        type: 'number',
+        description: 'Timeout in milliseconds for MCP requests.',
+      },
+      trust: {
+        type: 'boolean',
+        description:
+          'Marks the server as trusted. Defaults to true for admin-required servers.',
+      },
+      description: {
+        type: 'string',
+        description: 'Human-readable description of the server.',
+      },
+      includeTools: {
+        type: 'array',
+        description: 'Subset of tools enabled for this server.',
+        items: { type: 'string' },
+      },
+      excludeTools: {
+        type: 'array',
+        description: 'Tools disabled for this server.',
+        items: { type: 'string' },
+      },
+      oauth: {
+        type: 'object',
+        description: 'OAuth configuration for authenticating with the server.',
+        additionalProperties: true,
+      },
+      authProviderType: {
+        type: 'string',
+        description: 'Authentication provider used for acquiring credentials.',
+        enum: Object.values(AuthProviderType),
       },
       targetAudience: {
         type: 'string',