Slowtime MCP Server: Secure Time-Based Operations with Timing Attack Protection and Timelock Encryption

Overview: What is Slowtime MCP Server?

Slowtime MCP Server is a sophisticated Model Context Protocol (MCP) server designed for secure time-based operations, offering robust defenses against timing attacks through advanced cryptographic techniques such as timelock encryption. This server integrates seamlessly with various AI applications like Claude Desktop, Continue, and Cursor, providing a standardized protocol to connect them to specific data sources or tools within a controlled environment.

🔧 Core Features & MCP Capabilities

Time Fuzzing & Security

The Slowtime MCP Server implements intricate timing security mechanisms, including time fuzzing and security features. Time fuzzing introduces random latency into operations (100-5000ms), ensuring that the execution times are unpredictable and do not reveal sensitive information about internal operations. The security enhancements include constant-time comparisons to mitigate side-channel attacks, as well as jittered timestamps for added obscurity.

Timelock Encryption Flow

Timelock encryption is a critical feature of Slowtime, which involves both data encryption and decryption processes. When encrypting data, the server uses timelock encryption, integrating with an interval manager to ensure that encrypted data can only be decrypted after a specific duration has passed. The flow of this process consists of:

1. Data Encryption: Data is first encrypted using a timelock algorithm.
2. Interval Management: The encrypted data is associated with an interval during which it cannot be decrypted until the specified time passes.
3. Timed Decryption: Once the predetermined interval has expired, the data can be decrypted.

Interval Management

Intervals managed by the Slowtime MCP Server are dynamic and customizable. Users can start, pause, resume, or check on intervals using straightforward commands. This functionality is essential for use cases such as timed tasks or sessions that require controlled execution times.

⚙️ MCP Architecture & Protocol Implementation

The Slowtime MCP Server comprises several key components:

1. TimeFuzz: Provides timing attack protection through random duration fuzzing, constant-time comparisons, jittered timestamps, and random operation delays.
2. TimeKeeper: Manages intervals with operations such as creation, pause/resume, progress tracking, cleanup, and fuzzing integration.
3. TimeLock: Handles encryption through drand network integration for secure randomness, interval-based decryption, automatic cleanup, and cryptographic integrity mechanisms.
4. TimeVault: Offers persistent storage and analytics capabilities via DuckDB WASM.

The diagram below illustrates the overall architecture of Slowtime MCP Server:

graph TD
    A[Slowtime MCP Server] --> B1[TimeFuzz]
    A --> B2[TimeKeeper]
    A --> B3[TimeLock]
    A --> B4[TimeVault]

🚀 Getting Started with Installation

To integrate Slowtime MCP Server into your AI application, you will need to configure it within the Claude Desktop settings. Here are the steps:

1. Open claude_desktop_config.json located in ~/Library/Application Support/Claude.
2. Add the following configuration snippet for the Slowtime server:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "slowtime": {
         "command": "node",
         "args": ["/path/to/slowtime-mcp-server/build/index.js"]
       }
     }
   }
   

Ensure that the path provided points to the correct location of your Slowtime server executable.

💡 Key Use Cases in AI Workflows

Use Case 1: Secure Time-Stamped Data Processing

Imagine an AI model that receives sensitive information from user inputs and requires processing over a certain time frame to ensure data integrity. With Slowtime MCP Server, you can securely delay the decryption of this data until the stipulated time interval for added security.

Use Case 2: Controlled Time-Based Access Control

In scenarios where specific tasks must be allowed only within defined times, Slowtime MCP Server's interval management feature can enforce such constraints. For example, allowing users to access a service during business hours and automatically suspending the service afterward.

🔌 Integration with MCP Clients

The Slowtime MCP Server is compatible with multiple MCP clients, as shown in the table below:

MCP Client	Resources	Tools	Prompts	Status
Claude Desktop	✅	✅	✅	Full Support
Continue	✅	✅	✅	Full Support
Cursor	❌	✅	❌	Tools Only

This table indicates that the Slowtime server provides full support for Claude Desktop, Continue, and Cursor in terms of resource management, tools, and prompt handling.

📊 Performance & Compatibility Matrix

The performance and compatibility matrix showcases how well the Slowtime server works with different MCP clients. For instance:

• Claude Desktop: Fully supports all aspects of resources, tools, and prompts.
• Continue and Cursor: Provide robust tool support but are limited in prompt handling.

🛠️ Advanced Configuration & Security

TimeVault Analytics

The TimeVault feature of the Slowtime MCP Server not only provides secure storage for timelock data but also comes equipped with analytics tools. You can query historical data and filter it based on various parameters to gain insights into usage patterns:

# List vault history with filtering
list_vault_history --interval_id=abc123 --decrypted_only=true --limit=10

# Get vault statistics
get_vault_stats

The TimeVault commands enable detailed tracking and analysis, ensuring that sensitive data is securely managed while providing valuable insights.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How does Slowtime MCP Server ensure timing security?

A: Slowtime implements time fuzzing with delays between 100-5000ms, constant-time comparisons for operations, and jittered timestamps to make execution times unpredictable, thereby mitigating potential timing attack vectors.

Q: Can I run multiple Slowtime servers simultaneously?

A: Yes, you can configure multiple instances of Slowtime MCP Servers in the claude_desktop_config.json file. Each server will need a unique name and configuration.

Q: How does the TimeLock encryption work in practice?

A: Data is encrypted with timelock algorithms, which are tied to specific intervals during which they cannot be decrypted until that time has elapsed.

Q: Is Slowtime compatible with all MCP clients?

A: While full compatibility is available for Claude Desktop and Continue, Cursor has limited support due to its current implementation limitations.

Q: How can I contribute to the development of Slowtime MCP Server?

A: Contribute by forking the repository, creating a feature branch, committing your changes, pushing them to GitHub, and submitting a Pull Request.

👨‍💻 Development & Contribution Guidelines

1. Fork the Repository: Visit the project's GitHub page and fork it into your own account.
2. Create Your Feature Branch: Use a descriptive name that reflects the purpose or change you want to make.
3. Commit Changes: Write clear commit messages explaining what you changed.
4. Push to the Repository: Push your branch to your GitHub repository.
5. Submit a Pull Request (PR): Go to the original repository and submit a Pull Request, providing detailed information about your changes.

🌐 MCP Ecosystem & Resources

Slowtime MCP Server is part of a broader ecosystem that includes other tools and services aimed at enhancing the security and functionality of AI applications using Model Context Protocol. Explore resources such as documentation, community forums, and additional plugins to further integrate this server into your projects.

By leveraging Slowtime MCP Server, developers can effectively build robust, secure, and interoperable AI ecosystems where timing attack protection and timelock encryption are critical components.