cyntrisec
# Cyntrisec CLI
[](https://pypi.org/project/cyntrisec/)
[](LICENSE)
[](https://pypi.org/project/cyntrisec/)
<!-- mcp-name: io.github.cyntrisec/cyntrisec -->
> **Historical pre-company project.** `cyntrisec-cli` was created before Cyntrisec narrowed its company focus to EphemeralML and AIR v1. It is not a current Cyntrisec product, support surface, or commercial offering. The PyPI package name `cyntrisec`, CLI command `cyntrisec`, and MCP server ID `io.github.cyntrisec/cyntrisec` are retained only to avoid breaking historical installs.

> [!CAUTION]
> **Historical Software Disclaimer**: This tool is no longer an active Cyntrisec product. It is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind.
> While the CLI is a read-only analysis tool by default, the user assumes all responsibility for any actions taken based on its findings.
> **Always review** generated remediation plans and Terraform code before application.
Historical AWS capability graph analysis and attack path discovery CLI.
A read-only CLI tool that historically:
- Scans AWS infrastructure via AssumeRole
- Builds a capability graph (IAM, network, dependencies)
- Discovers attack paths from internet to sensitive targets
- Prioritizes fixes by ROI (security impact + cost savings)
- Identifies unused capabilities (blast radius reduction)
- Outputs deterministic JSON with proof chains
## Demo
[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g3PjWyK3mo)
> *Watch how to discover attack paths and generate fixes using natural language with Claude MCP.*
## Architecture
```text
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| CYNTRISEC CLI |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| CLI Layer (Typer) |
| scan analyze cuts waste report comply can diff serve ... |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| Core Engine | Storage (local) |
| - AWS collectors | ~/.cyntrisec/scans/<scan_id>/ |
| - Normalization/schema | snapshot.json, assets.json, relationships.json |
| - GraphBuilder -> AwsGraph | findings.json, attack_paths.json |
| - Path search -> paths | ~/.cyntrisec/scans/latest -> <scan_id> |
| - Min-cut + Cost (ROI) | (Windows fallback: latest is a file) |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| Outputs: JSON/agent, HTML report, remediation plan + Terraform hints |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
```
<!-- Legacy Unicode diagram (kept for reference; may render oddly in some environments) -->
<!--
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CYNTRISEC CLI │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ CLI Layer (typer) │ │
│ │ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ scan │ │ analyze │ │ cuts │ │ waste │ │ report │ ... │ │
│ │ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ │ │
│ └───────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────────────┘ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ ┌───────▼──────────▼──────────▼──────────▼──────────▼────────────────┐ │
│ │ Core Engine │ │
│ │ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Graph │ │ Paths │ │ Compliance │ │ │
│ │ │ (AwsGraph) │ │ (BFS/DFS) │ │ (CIS/SOC2) │ │ │
│ │ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ │ │
│ │ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Cuts │ │ Waste │ │ Simulator │ │ │
│ │ │ (ROI/Min) │ │ (Unused) │ │ (IAM Eval) │ │ │
│ │ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ │ │
│ │ ┌──────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Cost Engine │ │ │
│ │ │ (Estimator) │ │ │
│ │ └──────────────┘ │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌───────▼────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ AWS Layer │ │
│ │ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Collectors │ │ Normalizers │ │ Relationship │ │ │
│ │ │ (EC2, IAM, │ │ (Asset → │ │ Builder │ │ │
│ │ │ RDS, ...) │ │ Schema) │ │ │ │ │
│ │ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │ │
│ ┌───────▼──────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────▼──────────────────┐ │
│ │ Storage Layer │ │ MCP Server │ │
│ │ ┌────────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │ │ ┌──────────────────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Filesystem │ │ Memory │ │ │ │ Tools: get_scan_summary │ │ │
│ │ │ (~/.cyntri │ │ (tests) │ │ │ │ get_attack_paths, ... │ │ │
│ │ │ sec/) │ │ │ │ │ └──────────────────────────┘ │ │
│ │ └────────────┘ └─────────┘ │ │ │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ AWS Account │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ IAM │ │ EC2 │ │ RDS │ │ S3 │ ... │
│ │ (Roles, │ │ (Instances, │ │ (Databases) │ │ (Buckets) │ │
│ │ Policies) │ │ SGs, VPCs) │ │ │ │ │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
-->
### Data Flow
```text
CLI (scan) --AssumeRole--> AWS Session --Describe/Get/List--> AWS APIs (read-only)
|
v
Collectors -> normalize -> Assets + Relationships -> AwsGraph
|
v
Attack path search (BFS/DFS)
|
v
Min-cut (remediation cuts)
|
v
Cost engine (ROI)
Local artifacts: ~/.cyntrisec/scans/<scan_id>/*.json
```
<!-- Legacy Unicode diagram (kept for reference; may render oddly in some environments) -->
<!--
```
┌──────────┐ AssumeRole ┌──────────┐ Describe/Get/List ┌─────────┐
│ CLI │ ─────────────────▶│ AWS │ ◀─────────────────────▶│ APIs │
│ (scan) │ │ Session │ │(read-only)
└────┬─────┘ └──────────┘ └─────────┘
│
▼
┌──────────┐ normalize ┌──────────┐ build edges ┌──────────────┐
│Collectors│ ─────────────────▶│ Assets │ ─────────────────▶│Relationships│
└──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────┬───────┘
│
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
▼
┌──────────┐ BFS/DFS ┌──────────┐ min-cut ┌──────────────┐
│ AwsGraph │ ─────────────────▶│ Attack │ ─────────────────▶│ Remediation │
│ │ │ Paths │ │ Cuts │
└──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──▲───────────┘
│ (ROI)
┌──────┴───────┐
│ Cost Engine │
└──────────────┘
```
-->
## Installation
```bash
pip install cyntrisec
```
### Windows PATH Fix
If you see "cyntrisec is not recognized", the Scripts folder isn't on PATH:
```powershell
# Option 1: Run with python -m
python -m cyntrisec --help
# Option 2: Add to PATH for current session
$env:PATH += ";$env:APPDATA\Python\Python311\Scripts"
```
## Quick Start
> **Prerequisite**: Ensure you have [AWS CLI](https://aws.amazon.com/cli/) installed and configured with credentials (e.g., `aws configure`) or environment variables set. `terraform` is required for the setup step.
```bash
# 1. Create the read-only IAM role in your account
cyntrisec setup iam 123456789012 --output role.tf
# 2. Apply the Terraform
cd your-infra && terraform apply
# 3. Run a scan
cyntrisec scan --role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/CyntrisecReadOnly
# 4. View attack paths
cyntrisec analyze paths --min-risk 0.5
# 5. Find minimal fixes (prioritized by ROI)
cyntrisec cuts --format json
# 6. Generate HTML report
cyntrisec report --output report.html
```
## Commands
### Core Analysis
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `scan` | Scan AWS infrastructure |
| `analyze paths` | View attack paths |
| `analyze findings` | View security findings |
| `analyze stats` | View scan statistics |
| `analyze business` | Business entrypoint analysis |
| `report` | Generate HTML/JSON report |
### Setup & Validation
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `setup iam` | Generate IAM role Terraform |
| `validate-role` | Validate IAM role permissions |
### Remediation
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `cuts` | Find minimal fixes (Cost & ROI prioritized) |
| `waste` | Find unused IAM permissions |
| `remediate` | Generate or optionally apply Terraform plans (gated) |
### Policy Testing
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `can` | Test "can X access Y?" |
| `diff` | Compare scan snapshots |
| `comply` | Check CIS AWS / SOC2 compliance |
### Agentic Interface
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `manifest` | Output machine-readable capabilities |
| `explain` | Natural language explanations |
| `ask` | Query scans in plain English |
| `serve` | Run as MCP server for AI agents |
## MCP Server Mode
The historical CLI can still run as an MCP server for compatibility with existing local setups:
```bash
# Install with MCP support (now included by default)
pip install cyntrisec
```
```bash
cyntrisec serve # Start stdio server
cyntrisec serve --list-tools # List available tools
```
### MCP Tools (15)
| Category | Tool | Description |
|----------|------|-------------|
| **Discovery** | `list_tools` | List all available tools |
| | `set_session_snapshot` | Set active snapshot for session |
| | `get_scan_summary` | Get summary of latest AWS scan |
| **Assets** | `get_assets` | Get assets with type/name filtering |
| | `get_relationships` | Get relationships between assets |
| | `get_findings` | Get security findings with severity filtering |
| **Attack Paths** | `get_attack_paths` | Get attack paths with risk scores |
| | `explain_path` | Detailed hop-by-hop path breakdown |
| | `explain_finding` | Detailed finding explanation |
| **Remediation** | `get_remediations` | Find optimal fixes for attack paths |
| | `get_terraform_snippet` | Generate Terraform code for remediation |
| **Access** | `check_access` | Test if principal can access resource |
| | `get_unused_permissions` | Find unused IAM permissions |
| **Compliance** | `check_compliance` | Check CIS AWS or SOC 2 compliance |
| | `compare_scans` | Compare scan snapshots |
### Claude Desktop
**MacOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
**Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"cyntrisec": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["-m", "cyntrisec", "serve"]
}
}
}
```
### Claude Code (CLI)
Run the following command to configure the server:
```bash
claude mcp add cyntrisec -- python -m cyntrisec serve
```
### Google Gemini / Antigravity
Locate your agent configuration (e.g., `~/.gemini/antigravity/mcp_config.json`) and add:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"cyntrisec": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["-m", "cyntrisec", "serve"]
}
}
}
```
## Trust & Safety
### Read-Only Guarantees
This tool makes **read-only API calls** to your AWS account. The IAM role
should have only `Describe*`, `Get*`, `List*` permissions.
### No Data Exfiltration
All data stays on your local machine. Nothing is sent to external servers.
Scan results are stored in `~/.cyntrisec/scans/`.
### No Auto-Remediation (Default Safe Mode)
By default, Cyntrisec is **read-only** and **does not modify** your AWS infrastructure.
- It **analyzes** your account using read-only APIs.
- It can **generate** remediation artifacts (e.g., Terraform modules) for you to review.
- It does **not** apply changes automatically.
### Optional Remediation Execution (Explicit Opt-In)
Cyntrisec includes an **explicitly gated** path that can execute Terraform **only if you intentionally enable it**.
This mode is:
- **Disabled by default**
- Requires `--enable-unsafe-write-mode`
- Requires an additional explicit flag (e.g. `--execute-terraform`) to run Terraform
- Intended for controlled environments (sandbox / CI with approvals), not unattended production
If you do not pass these flags, Cyntrisec will never run `terraform apply`.
### Write Operations
Cyntrisec makes **no AWS write API calls** during scanning and analysis.
The only supported "write" behavior is optional execution of Terraform **locally on your machine**, and only when explicitly enabled via unsafe flags.
Every AWS API call is logged in CloudTrail under session name `cyntrisec-cli`.
## Trust & Permissions
Cyntrisec runs with a read-only IAM role. Generate the recommended policy with
`cyntrisec setup iam <ACCOUNT_ID>` and keep permissions to `Describe*`, `Get*`,
and `List*`. Live modes (`waste --live`, `can --live`) require extra IAM
permissions; the generated policy and docs cover those additions.
## Output Format
Primary output is JSON to stdout. When stdout is not a TTY, the CLI automatically switches to JSON:
```bash
cyntrisec analyze paths --format json | jq '.paths[] | select(.risk_score > 0.7)'
```
Agent-friendly output wraps results in a structured envelope:
```bash
cyntrisec analyze paths --format agent
```
```json
{
"schema_version": "1.0",
"status": "success",
"data": {...},
"artifact_paths": {...},
"suggested_actions": [...]
}
```
## Exit Codes
| Code | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| 0 | Success / compliant |
| 1 | Findings / regressions / denied |
| 2 | Usage error |
| 3 | Transient error (retry) |
| 4 | Internal error |
Use in CI/CD:
```bash
cyntrisec scan --role-arn $ROLE_ARN || exit 1
cyntrisec diff || echo "Regressions detected"
```
## Storage
Scan results are stored locally:
```text
~/.cyntrisec/
|-- scans/
| |-- 2026-01-17_123456_123456789012/
| | |-- snapshot.json
| | |-- assets.json
| | |-- relationships.json
| | |-- findings.json
| | `-- attack_paths.json
| `-- latest -> 2026-01-17_...
`-- config.yaml
```
<!-- Legacy Unicode tree (kept for reference; may render oddly in some environments) -->
<!--
```
~/.cyntrisec/
├── scans/
│ ├── 2026-01-17_123456_123456789012/
│ │ ├── snapshot.json
│ │ ├── assets.json
│ │ ├── relationships.json
│ │ ├── findings.json
│ │ └── attack_paths.json
│ └── latest -> 2026-01-17_...
└── config.yaml
```
-->
## Versioning
This project follows Semantic Versioning. See `CHANGELOG.md` for release notes.
## License
Apache-2.0
## Links
- [PyPI Package](https://pypi.org/project/cyntrisec/)
- [Historical Source](https://github.com/cyntrisec/cyntrisec-cli)
TDQS
Scored across 15 tools
Each tool has a clearly distinct purpose, covering different aspects of security analysis such as access checks, compliance scans, attack paths, findings, relationships, and remediations. No two tools overlap in functionality.
Tool names consistently follow a verb_noun pattern with underscores, using verbs like get_, check_, explain_, compare_, list_, and set_. While the verbs vary, the pattern is uniform and predictable.
15 tools cover a broad range of security audit tasks without feeling excessive. The count is appropriate for the domain, providing comprehensive yet navigable functionality.
The tool set covers core workflows like asset enumeration, finding analysis, attack path exploration, and remediation recommendations. Minor gaps exist, such as the lack of a scan initiation tool, but the set is largely complete for a read-heavy security analysis context.