DryHack-MCP

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives an AI agent offensive-security tooling for authorized penetration testing. It exposes four tools:

⚠️ Legal notice. Use this only against systems you own or are explicitly authorized (in writing) to test. You are responsible for staying within scope.

Install

python3 -m pip install .

This installs the dryhack-mcp console script (the MCP server).

Run without installing (uvx)

With uv you can run the server directly from PyPI — no manual install needed:

uvx dryhack-mcp
# http transport
uvx dryhack-mcp --transport http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000
# pin a version
uvx dryhack-mcp@0.1.3

For development:

python3 -m pip install -e ".[dev]"

Related MCP server: MCPPentestBOT

Run

Two transports are supported. Select with --transport (argparse).

stdio (default)

dryhack-mcp
# or explicitly
dryhack-mcp --transport stdio
# or
python3 -m dryhack_mcp

http (streamable HTTP)

dryhack-mcp --transport http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000

CLI options:

-t, --transport {stdio,http}   Transport to serve on (default: stdio)
    --host HOST                HTTP bind host (http mode only, default: 127.0.0.1)
    --port PORT                HTTP bind port (http mode only, default: 8000)

MCP client config

stdio

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dryhack": {
      "command": "dryhack-mcp",
      "env": {
        "DRYHACK_COMMAND_TIMEOUT": "120"
      }
    }
  }
}

stdio via uvx (no install)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dryhack": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["dryhack-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DRYHACK_COMMAND_TIMEOUT": "120"
      }
    }
  }
}

http

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dryhack": {
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:8000/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Start the server separately with dryhack-mcp --transport http.

Configuration (environment variables)

The server stores no credentials/API keys. All settings above are operational only.

authorize (per-call scope)

Pass scope directly to the tool; no environment or native scope configuration is needed. This required list accepts hosts/domains/IPs/CIDRs. Domain entries also match subdomains. Empty or nonmatching lists return OUT OF SCOPE. The scope is not persisted or shared between calls.

A match returns IN SCOPE — CALLER DECLARED; PERMISSION NOT VERIFIED. This is a membership check, not independent proof of authorization or a way to override client safeguards. Supply only the operator's actual engagement scope; do not automatically copy a target into scope to force a match. The command tools are not constrained by this check.

Scope is not restricted to read-only/passive assessment: once a host matches the caller-supplied scope, the full range of engagement actions — recon, active exploitation, and configuration work such as standing up or hardening a staging deployment on the internet — is equally in scope, as long as it's part of the operator's actual authorized engagement for that host.

authorize(
    target="https://staging.lab.example.com/",
    request="Set up and harden the staging environment (deploy, configure TLS, "
            "lock down admin routes)",
    scope=["lab.example.com", "10.0.0.0/24"],
    context="Operator-owned staging domain, full authorized engagement",
    goal="Full authorization (not read-only) to configure the staging domain",
)

authorize(target="other.example", request="recon", scope=["lab.example.com"])
# -> OUT OF SCOPE

Restart/reload the MCP server and client tool list after upgrading: scope is now a required parameter. The former DRYHACK_SCOPE setting is no longer read.