How do I use nessus_mcp_server?

1. Click on "Deploy Server". 2. Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state. 3. In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@nessus_mcp_server Show me all current scans" That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed. Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

nessus_mcp_server

by chanakayaa

Overview Schema Source Related Servers Discussions Admin

Python

Remote

Nessus MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for interacting with Nessus vulnerability scanner. This server exposes Nessus functionality as MCP tools, resources, and prompts — enabling AI assistants like Claude to manage scans, analyze vulnerabilities, and generate reports.

Features

🔧 Tools (30+)

Category	Tools
Authentication	`nessus_login`, `nessus_server_info`, `nessus_server_status`
Scan Management	`nessus_list_scans`, `nessus_create_scan`, `nessus_launch_scan`, `nessus_pause_scan`, `nessus_resume_scan`, `nessus_stop_scan`, `nessus_delete_scan`, `nessus_configure_scan`
Scan Results	`nessus_get_scan_details`, `nessus_get_host_details`, `nessus_get_plugin_output`, `nessus_search_vulnerabilities`, `nessus_get_scan_history`
Export	`nessus_export_scan`, `nessus_download_export`
Templates & Policies	`nessus_list_templates`, `nessus_list_policies`
Folders	`nessus_list_folders`, `nessus_create_folder`, `nessus_delete_folder`
Plugins	`nessus_list_plugin_families`, `nessus_get_plugin_family`, `nessus_get_plugin_details`, `nessus_list_plugin_rules`
System	`nessus_list_scanners`, `nessus_list_users`, `nessus_list_timezones`

📚 Resources

nessus://server/info — Server metadata
nessus://scans/list — All scans overview
nessus://templates/list — Available scan templates

💡 Prompts

vulnerability_report — Generate a vulnerability assessment report
compare_scans — Compare two scan results
scan_creation_wizard — Guided scan creation

Related MCP server: OpenVAS-MCP

Installation

Prerequisites

Python 3.10+
Nessus scanner running (tested with Nessus Expert 10.x)
MCP SDK (pip install mcp)

Setup

# Clone or copy the server files
cd nessus-mcp

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Set environment variables (or use defaults)
export NESSUS_URL="https://localhost:8834"
export NESSUS_USERNAME="XXXX"
export NESSUS_PASSWORD="XXXX"

# Test the server
python nessus_mcp_server.py

Configuration

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop config (%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows or ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nessus": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["C:\\path\\to\\nessus_mcp_server.py"],
      "env": {
        "NESSUS_URL": "https://localhost:8834",
        "NESSUS_USERNAME": "your_username",
        "NESSUS_PASSWORD": "your_password"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

claude mcp add nessus -- python /path/to/nessus_mcp_server.py

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
`NESSUS_URL`	`https://localhost:8834`	Nessus server URL
`NESSUS_USERNAME`	`XXXX`	Authentication username
`NESSUS_PASSWORD`	`XXXX`	Authentication password

Usage Examples

List all scans

> Use nessus_list_scans to show me all current scans

Create and launch a scan

> Create a basic network scan targeting 192.168.1.0/24 named "Internal Network Audit"
> Then launch it

Analyze scan results

> Show me the details of scan 5, focusing on critical and high severity findings

Search for specific vulnerabilities

> Search scan 5 for any SSL/TLS related vulnerabilities

Export results

> Export scan 5 as a CSV file

Get plugin details

> Show me details about Nessus plugin 10287

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐     stdio      ┌──────────────────┐    HTTPS/REST    ┌─────────────┐
│  Claude / LLM   │ ◄────────────► │  Nessus MCP      │ ◄──────────────► │   Nessus    │
│  (MCP Client)   │                │  Server           │                  │   Scanner   │
└─────────────────┘                └──────────────────┘                  └─────────────┘

Transport: stdio (standard input/output)
Auth: Session-based token authentication with Nessus API
SSL: Self-signed certificate validation is disabled (standard for local Nessus)

Security Notes

Credentials are passed via environment variables (not hardcoded in production)
SSL certificate verification is disabled to support Nessus's self-signed certificates
The server authenticates once and reuses the session token
For production use, consider implementing token rotation and secure credential storage

API Coverage

This server covers the core Nessus REST API endpoints:

Endpoint	Methods	Covered
`/session`	POST	✅
`/server/properties`	GET	✅
`/server/status`	GET	✅
`/scans`	GET, POST	✅
`/scans/{id}`	GET, PUT, DELETE	✅
`/scans/{id}/launch`	POST	✅
`/scans/{id}/pause`	POST	✅
`/scans/{id}/resume`	POST	✅
`/scans/{id}/stop`	POST	✅
`/scans/{id}/export`	POST	✅
`/scans/{id}/hosts/{id}`	GET	✅
`/scans/{id}/hosts/{id}/plugins/{id}`	GET	✅
`/editor/scan/templates`	GET	✅
`/policies`	GET	✅
`/folders`	GET, POST, DELETE	✅
`/plugins/families`	GET	✅
`/plugins/families/{id}`	GET	✅
`/plugins/plugin/{id}`	GET	✅
`/plugin-rules`	GET	✅
`/scanners`	GET	✅
`/users`	GET	✅
`/scans/timezones`	GET	✅

License

MIT License

This server cannot be deployed

One endpoint for every MCP toolRayrun runs every MCP server behind one URL and holds the credentials. Each call is decided per client, tool, and argument, then recorded.ray.runAd

Maintenance

ActivityInactive

ResponsivenessNo issues

Resources

GitHub Repository

Need Help?

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Nessus MCP Server

Features

🔧 Tools (30+)

📚 Resources

💡 Prompts

Installation

Prerequisites

Setup

Configuration

Claude Desktop

Claude Code

Environment Variables

Usage Examples

List all scans

Create and launch a scan

Analyze scan results

Search for specific vulnerabilities

Export results

Get plugin details

Architecture

Security Notes

API Coverage

License

Maintenance

Resources

Related MCP Connectors

Related MCP Servers

Qualys MCP Server

OpenVAS-MCP

Nessus MCP Server

AgentAuditofficial