Leverages Docker for clean deployment and execution of the MCP server, with native ARM64 support for Apple Silicon Macs.
Extracts tool documentation from the official Kali Linux tools GitLab repository, ensuring up-to-date information.
Provides comprehensive access to documentation for 600+ Kali Linux security tools, enabling search by name/functionality/category, browsing by security domain, and retrieving detailed installation instructions, usage examples, and command syntax.
Kali Tools MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides comprehensive access to Kali Linux Tools documentation through Claude Desktop. Search, explore, and get detailed information about the 600+ penetration testing and security tools included in Kali Linux.
What is Kali Linux? Kali Linux is the world's most advanced penetration testing platform, containing hundreds of tools for security testing, digital forensics, and reverse engineering.
✨ Features
🔍 Smart Search: Find tools by name, functionality, or category across 600+ Kali tools
📋 Category Organization: Browse tools by security domain (web apps, forensics, wireless, etc.)
📖 Detailed Documentation: Get installation instructions, usage examples, and command syntax
🎯 Usage Examples: Real command-line examples with explanations
🐳 Dockerized: Clean deployment with web scraping for up-to-date information
🍎 Apple Silicon Optimized: Native ARM64 support for M1/M2/M3 Macs
🚀 On-Demand: Fresh data loaded for each session
🎯 Use Cases
Penetration Testing: Quick reference for tools during security assessments
Security Research: Discover the right tool for specific testing scenarios
OSCP/CEH Preparation: Learn about tools used in ethical hacking certifications
Red Team Operations: Find specialized tools for various attack vectors
Blue Team Defense: Understand attacker tools to improve defenses
Educational: Comprehensive learning resource for cybersecurity students
CTF Competitions: Fast lookup of available tools and their capabilities
🛠 Available Tool Categories
Information Gathering: DNS enumeration, port scanning, reconnaissance
Vulnerability Analysis: Vulnerability scanners, exploit databases
Web Applications: SQL injection, XSS testing, web crawlers
Database Assessment: Database-specific security tools
Password Attacks: Hash cracking, brute force, wordlist generation
Wireless Attacks: WiFi security testing, Bluetooth analysis
Reverse Engineering: Binary analysis, debugging, disassembly
Exploitation Tools: Exploit frameworks, payload generators
Forensics: Digital forensics, data recovery, memory analysis
Sniffing & Spoofing: Network monitoring, packet capture, MITM
Post Exploitation: Privilege escalation, persistence, lateral movement
Reporting Tools: Documentation and report generation
🚀 Quick Start
Prerequisites
Docker installed and running
Claude Desktop application
Apple Silicon Mac (M1/M2/M3) or compatible system
1. Setup Project
2. Build Docker Image
2. Build Docker Image
3. Configure Claude Desktop
Edit your Claude Desktop configuration file:
Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
4. Restart Claude Desktop
Completely quit and restart Claude Desktop to load the new MCP server.
💬 Usage Examples
Once configured, you can interact with the Kali Tools database directly through Claude Desktop:
Search for Tools
Get Tool Details
Browse by Category
Usage and Examples
🛠 Available Tools
The MCP server provides five main tools:
1. search_kali_tools
Search the Kali tools database by name, description, or functionality.
Parameters:
query
(required): Search termcategory
(optional): Filter by tool category
Example: Search for "sql injection" tools in "web-applications" category
2. get_tool_details
Get comprehensive information about a specific tool.
Parameters:
tool_name
(required): Name of the Kali tool
Example: Get complete documentation for "sqlmap"
3. list_tools_by_category
List all tools in a specific security category.
Parameters:
category
(required): Tool category (web-applications, forensics, etc.)
Example: List all password attack tools
4. get_tool_usage
Get usage examples and command syntax for a specific tool.
Parameters:
tool_name
(required): Name of the tool
Example: Get usage examples for "nmap"
5. list_categories
Show all available tool categories with tool counts.
Example: See overview of all tool categories
📁 Project Structure
🔧 Architecture
The MCP server works by:
Repository Cloning: Clones official Kali tools documentation from GitLab during build
PackagesInfo Parsing: Extracts tool descriptions from PackagesInfo sections in markdown files
Smart Categorization: Automatically categorizes tools by functionality using keyword analysis
Content Extraction: Parses YAML frontmatter, usage examples, and installation instructions
MCP Interface: Provides search and query capabilities through MCP tools
On-Demand Execution: Runs fresh containers for each Claude Desktop session
📊 Data Sources
Primary: Official Kali Linux tools documentation from GitLab repository
Structure: Individual tool directories containing
index.md
filesContent: PackagesInfo sections, YAML frontmatter, usage examples
Categories: Intelligent categorization based on tool descriptions and functionality
🔍 Key Parsing Features
PackagesInfo Detection:
Automatically finds and extracts content following "PackagesInfo:" sections
This is where the actual tool descriptions are located in Kali documentation
Prioritizes this content over other description sources
YAML Frontmatter:
Extracts title, homepage, repository, and other metadata
Handles package information and installation details
Content Cleaning:
Filters out Hugo shortcodes and HTML comments
Removes markdown formatting for clean descriptions
Skips usage examples when looking for descriptions
🐛 Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Build takes longer than expected:
The build includes cloning the full Kali tools GitLab repository
Expected build time: 2-3 minutes on good internet connection
Subsequent builds use Docker layer caching for speed
Limited tools loaded:
Check that GitLab repository was cloned successfully
Verify Docker has sufficient disk space
The server should load 600+ tools if working correctly
Description parsing issues:
Most tools should have meaningful descriptions from PackagesInfo sections
Some tools may fall back to YAML titles if PackagesInfo is missing
Check debug output for parsing details
Debug Commands
Performance Notes
Container Startup: ~10-15 seconds for fresh container with full tool parsing
Search Performance: Fast in-memory search across all tools and descriptions
Memory Usage: ~150-300MB per container instance
Data Processing: PackagesInfo parsing improves description quality significantly
🔒 Security Considerations
Important Security Notes:
This server provides read-only access to Kali tools documentation
Kali tools are legitimate security testing utilities that could be misused
Use only in authorized testing environments
Follow responsible disclosure practices for any vulnerabilities found
The Docker container has no network access except during build
Best Practices:
Only use for authorized penetration testing and security research
Understand your organization's security policies before deployment
Keep the server updated with latest Kali tools documentation
Use in controlled environments for educational purposes
🎓 Educational Value
This MCP server serves as:
Learning Resource: Comprehensive catalog of security tools with real descriptions
Reference Guide: Quick lookup during security assessments and learning
Training Aid: Discover new tools and their capabilities
Certification Prep: Study aid for OSCP, CEH, and other security certifications
Tool Discovery: Find the right tool for specific security testing scenarios
📄 License & Attribution
This project is for educational and legitimate security research purposes.
Kali Tools Data: Subject to Kali Linux documentation license
GitLab Repository: https://gitlab.com/kalilinux/documentation/kali-tools
MCP Server Code: Educational use with responsible security practices
Docker Configuration: Freely usable for legitimate security research
🤝 Contributing
Improvements welcome! Areas for contribution:
Enhanced PackagesInfo parsing for edge cases
Additional data extraction from tool documentation
Performance optimizations for large datasets
Better error handling and retry logic
Integration with other security tool databases
Improved categorization algorithms
🚀 Future Enhancements
Planned features:
Tool installation verification and dependency checking
Integration with actual Kali Linux systems
Tool dependency mapping and relationship analysis
Usage statistics and tool recommendations
Integration with CVE databases and vulnerability information
Export functionality for tool lists and documentation
📚 Learn More
Kali Linux: https://www.kali.org
Kali Tools: https://www.kali.org/tools/
Kali Documentation: https://www.kali.org/docs/
GitLab Repository: https://gitlab.com/kalilinux/documentation/kali-tools
Model Context Protocol: https://modelcontextprotocol.io
Penetration Testing: https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/
⚡ Ready to explore? Ask Claude: "What are the best Kali tools for web application testing?"
This server cannot be installed
Provides comprehensive access to documentation for 600+ Kali Linux penetration testing and security tools through Claude Desktop, enabling users to search, explore, and get detailed information about security tools by category or functionality.
Related MCP Servers
- -securityAlicense-qualityA comprehensive code analysis and management tool that integrates with Claude Desktop to analyze code at project and file levels, helping adapt changes to projects intelligently.Last updated -39MIT License
- -securityFlicense-qualityA utility toolkit that enhances Claude's code interaction capabilities by providing seamless tools for Java code analysis, manipulation, and testing workflows.Last updated -3
- AsecurityFlicenseAqualityA tool that allows penetration testing through Kali Linux commands executed via a Multi-Conversation Protocol server, supporting security testing operations like SQL injection and command execution.Last updated -547
- AsecurityFlicenseAqualityA specialized MCP server for Claude Desktop that allows executing terminal commands for malware analysis with support for common analysis tools like file, strings, hexdump, objdump, and xxd.Last updated -72