What is sallyport?

Sallyport is a free Mac app that keeps API keys and SSH credentials safe while still letting AI coding agents use them. Instead of handing a secret directly to an agent, which is risky because agents read config files and can be tricked into leaking data, Sallyport stores credentials in an encrypted local vault and performs the requested action itself. The agent asks for an operation over MCP, a protocol AI tools use to call external systems, Sallyport carries it out, and the credential never appears anywhere the agent can read it. The project was built in response to a real problem: coding agents and the packages they depend on regularly read secrets from environment files and shell variables, and recent supply chain attacks have specifically targeted those locations. Traditional secret managers still hand the actual secret to the workload running the task, which does not help when that workload itself cannot be fully trusted. Sallyport flips this by giving the agent an action to run rather than a secret to hold. Every action goes through an approval process. Depending on how a credential or connection is configured, it may require a one time approval using a click or Touch ID, or session level approval for new processes. All actions are recorded in a signed, tamper evident audit journal using the Mac's Secure Enclave hardware. The app supports HTTP requests, SSH command execution, and other configured tools reachable through MCP. Installation is done through Homebrew or a signed installer from the project's website, and setup to first use takes about two minutes. It requires an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 14 or newer. The public repository holds source code for each release but does not accept outside contributions. It is released under the Apache 2.0 license, though the Sallyport name and logo are trademarked separately.