Nessus MCP Server for Claude Desktop

An implementation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) that allows Claude Desktop to interact directly with Tenable Nessus. Perform vulnerability scans, list policies, and generate security reports using natural language.

✨ Key Features

• Natural Language Security: Ask Claude to "Run a basic network scan on 192.168.1.0/24."

• Automated Reporting: Generate and retrieve PDF vulnerability reports via chat.

• Dockerized Architecture: Easy deployment with a pre-configured Docker environment.

• Security First: Local-only communication using host.docker.internal to keep your scan data private.

Related MCP server: tenable-mcp

🛠️ Technology Stack

• Language: Python 3.11+

• Interface: Model Context Protocol (MCP)

• API: Tenable Nessus JSON API

• Containerization: Docker

📋 Prerequisites

• Docker Desktop (Running).

• Nessus Essentials (Installed on host).

• Claude Desktop (Installed).

🚀 Quick Start

1. Clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/samtesura/nessus-mcp-server.git

2. Setup Config: Copy nessus_mcp_config.json.example to nessus_mcp_config.json and add your Nessus API keys.

3. Build: Run .\scripts/build-docker.ps1

4. Integrate: Add the server configuration to your claude_desktop_config.json.

Note: For full step-by-step instructions, see the Installation Guide.

🧪 Usage Examples

• "List my current Nessus scans."

• "What is the status of the 'Web App' scan?"

• "Create a new scan for 10.0.0.5 using the Basic Network Scan policy."

Technical summary

The Challenge

Nessus is a powerful vulnerability scanner, but managing it often requires navigating a complex web UI or writing custom scripts for the JSON API. Integrating these capabilities directly into an AI’s context window requires a bridge that handles authentication, networking, and structured data exchange.

The Solution

This project implements a dedicated MCP Server that acts as an intelligent intermediary between Claude Desktop and a local Nessus Essentials instance. It features:

• Robust Containerization: A Docker-based deployment that uses host.docker.internal to securely bridge the gap between the isolated container and the host-running Nessus service.

• Automated Security Workflows: Logic for launching scans, monitoring progress, and automatically exporting vulnerability summaries in PDF format.

• Error-Resilient Design: Optimized PowerShell build scripts and a simplified Dockerfile to ensure seamless setup on Windows environments.

Impact

By abstracting the Nessus API into natural language tools, security analysts can perform comprehensive network audits ("Scan 192.168.1.0/24 and summarize the findings") without leaving their primary research environment.