Nuclei MCP

Nuclei MCP is a bridge that connects Nuclei, the powerful vulnerability scanner, with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) ecosystem.

Overview

Nuclei MCP enables seamless integration of Nuclei's template-based vulnerability scanning capabilities into MCP-compatible applications and AI-powered workflow systems. This bridge allows you to leverage Nuclei functionality through a standardized protocol, making it easier to incorporate into automated security testing pipelines or AI assistant capabilities.

Features

• Simple configuration and setup
• Easy integration with other MCP-compatible tools and systems
• Standardized input/output handling
• Access to Nuclei's extensive template library

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• Nuclei installed on your system

Installation

# Install globally
npm install -g gc-nuclei-mcp

# Or run directly without installing
npx gc-nuclei-mcp

Configuration

This server requires the path to the Nuclei executable to be set via the NUCLEI_PATH environment variable.

Example:

# Linux/macOS
export NUCLEI_PATH=/usr/local/bin/nuclei

# Windows
set NUCLEI_PATH=C:\path\to\nuclei\nuclei.exe

Usage

Command Line

# With NUCLEI_PATH environment variable set
npx gc-nuclei-mcp

With Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nuclei": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "gc-nuclei-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "NUCLEI_PATH": "C:\\path\\to\\nuclei\\nuclei.exe"
      }
    }
  }
}

With Other MCP Clients

For other MCP clients, you can configure them to use this server with:

NUCLEI_PATH=/path/to/nuclei npx gc-nuclei-mcp

Running Nuclei Scans

Once configured, you can run Nuclei scans through the MCP interface using the do-nuclei tool:

// Example of calling Nuclei through MCP
const result = await mcp.tools.invoke("do-nuclei", {
  url: "https://example.com",
  tags: "cve,rce,tech"
});

Getting Available Tags

You can retrieve all available Nuclei template tags using the get-nuclei-tags tool:

// Get all available Nuclei tags
const tagsResult = await mcp.tools.invoke("get-nuclei-tags", {});
const tags = JSON.parse(tagsResult.content[0].text);

Parameters

Nuclei MCP currently supports the following parameters:

• url: The target URL to scan (required)
• tags: Comma-separated list of template tags to filter which checks to run (optional)

Examples

Basic Vulnerability Scan

const result = await mcp.tools.invoke("do-nuclei", {
  url: "https://target-website.com"
});

Targeted Scan with Specific Tags

const result = await mcp.tools.invoke("do-nuclei", {
  url: "https://target-website.com",
  tags: "cve,oast,ssrf"
});

Integration with AI Assistants

Nuclei MCP is designed to work seamlessly with AI assistants that support the Model Context Protocol, enabling natural language interactions for security testing tasks.

Example conversation with an AI assistant:

User: Check example.com for common security vulnerabilities
AI: I'll help you scan example.com for security vulnerabilities using Nuclei.

[AI uses Nuclei MCP to run the scan and returns the results]

Nuclei scan results for example.com:
- Found CVE-2021-XXXX in the login page
- Detected an open redirect vulnerability
- Identified outdated WordPress version
...

Security Considerations

• Always obtain proper authorization before scanning websites for vulnerabilities
• Use responsibly and ethically
• Consider the potential impact of active scanning on production systems
• Some templates may generate significant traffic or potentially disruptive tests

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

1. Verify Nuclei is properly installed and accessible
2. Check the path to the Nuclei executable in your configuration
3. Ensure proper permissions are set for execution
4. Review server logs for detailed error messages

License

Apache-2.0

Acknowledgments

• Nuclei Project: https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei
• Model Context Protocol: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol