pentest-mcp-server

Pentest Lookup Technique

pentest_lookup_technique

Read-onlyIdempotent

Look up a MITRE ATT&CK technique by exact ID or keyword. Results include tactics, platforms, description, detection data, public procedure examples, mitigations, related sub-techniques, and dataset version.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`query`	Yes	ATT&CK technique ID (e.g., "T1190", "T1059.001") or keyword describing the technique (e.g., "sql injection", "pass the hash", "web shell upload"). ID lookup is exact; keyword lookup returns the best match plus related techniques.
`include_subtechniques`	No	Include sub-techniques in the result. Set to false when only the parent technique summary is needed.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`name`	No	Technique name.
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`tactics`	No	ATT&CK tactics this technique belongs to (e.g., "Initial Access", "Execution").
`detection`	No	ATT&CK detection context for the technique.
`platforms`	No	Target platforms (e.g., "Windows", "Linux", "Web Application").
`description`	No	ATT&CK description of the technique.
`mitigations`	No	Recommended mitigations from ATT&CK.
`technique_id`	No	ATT&CK technique ID (e.g., "T1190").
`attack_version`	No	ATT&CK dataset version used (e.g., "Enterprise v19.1").
`sub_techniques`	No	Sub-techniques of this parent technique. Empty when querying a sub-technique itself, or when include_subtechniques is false.
`procedure_examples`	No	Real-world usage examples from ATT&CK public reporting.
`authorized_use_reminder`	No	Reminder that technique data is for authorized testing and research only. Rendered first.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed10 schema fields changedAug 22, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "authorized_use_reminder",
+      "technique_id",
+      "name",
+      "tactics",
+      "description",
+      "platforms",
+      "detection",
+      "mitigations",
+      "procedure_examples",
+      "sub_techniques",
+      "attack_version"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / attack_version / description

Previous value: -"ATT&CK dataset version used (e.g., \"Enterprise v19.1\"). Included so callers know the data vintage."New value: +"ATT&CK dataset version used (e.g., \"Enterprise v19.1\")."

changedOutput schema / properties / detection / description

Previous value: -"Detection context — directly useful for blue team detection coverage."New value: +"ATT&CK detection context for the technique."

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `no_match`: No technique matched the query. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "no_match"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / procedure_examples / description

Previous value: -"Real-world usage examples from ATT&CK public reporting. Useful for understanding adversary application of the technique."New value: +"Real-world usage examples from ATT&CK public reporting."

changedOutput schema / properties / sub_techniques / items / description

Previous value: -"A sub-technique summary. Use pentest_lookup_technique with the sub-technique ID for full details."New value: +"A sub-technique ID, name, and brief description."

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "authorized_use_reminder",
-  "technique_id",
-  "name",
-  "tactics",
-  "description",
-  "platforms",
-  "detection",
-  "mitigations",
-  "procedure_examples",
-  "sub_techniques",
-  "attack_version"
-]

First observedMay 31, 2026

TDQS

A3.6/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already establish read-only and idempotent behavior. The description adds a brief summary of the result contents (tactics, platforms, detection data, etc.), but since an output schema exists, this enumeration adds only moderate value beyond the structured annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single front-loaded sentence that hits the action first and then lists the result fields. The enumeration is somewhat long, but each item is meaningful and contributes to a complete overview.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the tool's simplicity, fully documented schema, existing output schema, and read-only idempotent annotations, the definition is complete for an agent to invoke it correctly. Nothing essential for making the call is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, with rich detail on the query parameter (examples, exact vs. best-match behavior) and include_subtechniques (default and when to disable). The description itself adds no parameter-level meaning beyond what the schema already provides.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb ('look up'), a distinct resource ('MITRE ATT&CK technique'), and the two accepted input modes ('exact ID or keyword'). This clearly distinguishes it from the sibling pentest_lookup_group without requiring the agent to open either schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides no explicit when-to-use or when-not-to-use guidance, nor does it reference any sibling tool. The only usage hint appears inside the include_subtechniques parameter schema, not in the description itself.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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