nuclei

This MCP server integrates Nuclei into the MCP ecosystem, offering a standardized interface to run security scans, manage Nuclei templates, and retrieve structured vulnerability reports. Core tools include nuclei_scan for full scans with advanced filtering, basic_scan for quick assessments, vulnerability_resource to query scan results, add_template and list_templates to manage templates, and get_template to fetch details about a specific template. When connected via the MCP Inspector or another MCP client, you can trigger scans, supply templates, and aggregate results through the MCP protocol, receiving consistent responses regardless of the underlying engine.

To use the server, start it with the provided Go entry point (or a pre-built binary). You can then connect an MCP client to the RESTful API exposed by the server (default http://127.0.0.1:3000 as described in the configuration). The inspector tooling can be used during development to visualize endpoints, run ad-hoc scans, and verify responses. Templates can be uploaded via add_template, listed with list_templates, and retrieved with get_template. Results can be queried through vulnerability_resource, enabling you to programmatically access severities, remediation guidance, and structured findings.

Prerequisites:

• Go (1.16+ or newer) installed on your machine
• Optional: pre-built binary for your platform, or build from source

Option A: Download and run a pre-built binary (recommended)

1. Download the latest release for your platform from the Releases page.
2. Extract the archive.
3. Run the binary:
   • Linux/macOS: ./nuclei-mcp
   • Windows: nuclei-mcp.exe

Option B: Install with Go (build from source)

1. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/your-org/nuclei-mcp.git cd nuclei-mcp
2. Install dependencies: go mod download
3. Build and run: go build -o nuclei-mcp ./cmd/nuclei-mcp ./nuclei-mcp

Option C: Run via go run (for development)

1. Ensure all dependencies are downloaded: go mod download
2. Run directly: go run cmd/nuclei-mcp/main.go

Running the server

• Start the MCP server (using Go development path): go run cmd/nuclei-mcp/main.go
• Or, if using a pre-built binary: ./nuclei-mcp

Notes:

• The server can auto-download Nuclei if not present, and supports configuring template directories, timeouts, rate limits, and other options via config files or environment variables as documented in the README.

Configuration can be provided via a YAML/config file or environment variables (prefixed with NUCLEI_MCP_). Examples include enabling/disabling the cache, setting the server port, and adjusting rate limits for scanning. The MCP client configuration example demonstrates how to connect via Go (development) or a compiled binary, including optional environment variables for server port and cache toggling. If you plan to run with the MCP Inspector, you can use npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector go run cmd/nuclei-mcp/main.go and interact with the server through the inspector UI. Ensure the server port (default 3000) is reachable from your MCP clients, and configure any required templates using add_template or list_templates. For production, pin a specific version to avoid breaking changes due to ongoing development.