Skip to main content
Glama
kannanprabu

nuclei_mcp

by kannanprabu
OverviewSchemaRelated ServersScoreDiscussions
Python
Local

nuclei_mcp

A standalone Python MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that wraps Nuclei, enabling Claude Desktop to run real vulnerability scans through natural language.

Kannan Prabu Ramamoorthy & Swarup Natukula

Demo

Type this in Claude Desktop:

Run a nuclei scan on https://scanme.sh

Expected output — 19 findings in ~7 seconds:

[nuclei] 19 finding(s) on https://scanme.sh:
[INFO] OpenSSH Service - Detect | matched: scanme.sh:22 | template: openssh-detect
[INFO] SSH Server Software Enumeration | matched: scanme.sh:22 | template: ssh-server-enumeration
[INFO] SSH Password-based Authentication | matched: scanme.sh:22 | template: ssh-password-auth
[INFO] SSH SHA-1 HMAC Algorithms Enabled | matched: scanme.sh:22 | template: ssh-sha1-hmac-algo
[INFO] Deprecated TLS Detection | matched: scanme.sh:443 | template: deprecated-tls
[LOW]  Weak Cipher Suites Detection | matched: scanme.sh:443 | template: weak-cipher-suites
[LOW]  Self Signed SSL Certificate | matched: scanme.sh:443 | template: self-signed-ssl
[INFO] Mismatched SSL Certificate | matched: scanme.sh:443 | template: mismatched-ssl-certificate
[INFO] TLS Version - Detect | matched: scanme.sh:443 | template: tls-version
[INFO] CAA Record | matched: scanme.sh | template: caa-fingerprint
[INFO] NS Record Detection | matched: scanme.sh | template: nameserver-fingerprint
[INFO] AAAA Record - IPv6 Detection | matched: scanme.sh | template: aaaa-fingerprint
...

Related MCP server: Security Scanner MCP Server

MCP Tools

Tool

Description

Speed

nuclei_scan

Full scan with severity + template tag filters

~7s (fast tags)

nuclei_basic_scan

Quick scan, fast defaults (ssl,ssh,dns)

~7s

nuclei_list_templates

Browse templates by tag

instant

Requirements

  • macOS (Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3/M4) — tested on M4 Pro, macOS Tahoe

  • Claude Desktop

  • Python 3.8+

  • curl (pre-installed on macOS)

Installation

Option A — Automated (recommended)

git clone https://github.com/kannanprabu/nuclei_mcp.git
cd nuclei_mcp
chmod +x setup.sh
./setup.sh

The script will:

  1. Install Nuclei binary (official arm64 binary — NOT brew)

  2. Create Python venv and install MCP library

  3. Print your exact Claude Desktop config to copy-paste

Option B — Manual Step by Step

Step 1 — Install Nuclei

⚠️ Do NOT use brew install nuclei — the Homebrew bottle crashes on Apple Silicon with a SIGSEGV/cgo bug. Use the official binary:

# Download official arm64 binary
curl -L https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/releases/download/v3.3.9/nuclei_3.3.9_macOS_arm64.zip -o /tmp/nuclei.zip

# Install
unzip /tmp/nuclei.zip -d /tmp/nuclei-bin/
chmod +x /tmp/nuclei-bin/nuclei
sudo mv /tmp/nuclei-bin/nuclei /usr/local/bin/nuclei

# Fix Gatekeeper if needed
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /usr/local/bin/nuclei

# Verify
nuclei -version

# Update to latest + download templates
sudo nuclei -update
nuclei -update-templates

Step 2 — Clone repo and set up Python

git clone https://github.com/kannanprabu/nuclei_mcp.git
cd nuclei_mcp

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 3 — Get your exact Python path

source venv/bin/activate
which python3
# Example: /Users/yourname/nuclei_mcp/venv/bin/python3

Step 4 — Configure Claude Desktop

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nuclei-scanner": {
      "command": "/Users/yourname/nuclei_mcp/venv/bin/python3",
      "args": ["/Users/yourname/nuclei_mcp/nuclei-server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Replace /Users/yourname with your actual path from Step 3.

Step 5 — Restart Claude Desktop

pkill -x "Claude"
open -a Claude

Step 6 — Test it

In Claude Desktop, type:

Run a nuclei scan on https://scanme.sh

You should see 19 findings in ~7 seconds.

Demo Prompts

# Quick scan
Run a nuclei basic scan on https://scanme.sh

# Scan with all severities
Run a nuclei scan on https://scanme.sh

# Target specific vulnerability classes
Run a nuclei scan on https://scanme.sh with templates ssl,ssh,dns

# Browse templates
List nuclei templates for tag "ssh"
List nuclei templates for tag "cve"

# Scan your own authorized target
Run a nuclei scan on https://yourauthorizedtarget.com

Troubleshooting

SIGSEGV: segmentation violation when running nuclei

This is the go-m1cpu cgo bug in Homebrew's nuclei bottle. Use the official binary from Step 1.

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'mcp'

You're using system Python instead of the venv:

source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
# Make sure config uses venv python path

Tools don't appear in Claude Desktop

  • Validate your JSON (no trailing commas)

  • Confirm python path in config matches which python3 inside the venv

  • Fully quit Claude Desktop with Cmd+Q, then reopen

  • Check logs: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/

Scan times out

The default ssl,ssh,dns tags finish in ~7 seconds. If you override with broader tags like misconfig or remove the tag filter, scans can take 3-4 minutes and will exceed Claude Desktop's MCP timeout. Stick to the fast tag set for demos.

No findings returned

# Verify nuclei works standalone
nuclei -target https://scanme.sh -tags ssl,ssh,dns -no-color
# Should return 19 findings

Related

  • BsidesMCPDemo — main workshop repo with 7 pentest tools

  • Nuclei — ProjectDiscovery's vulnerability scanner

  • MCP Protocol — Model Context Protocol docs

  • scanme.sh — Official ProjectDiscovery scan-me target

License

MIT

Tested on macOS Tahoe, Apple Silicon M4 Pro, March 2026.

This server cannot be installed

A
license - permissive license
-
quality - not tested
D
maintenance

How are these scores calculated?

Maintenance

–Maintainers
–Response time
–Release cycle
–Releases (12mo)
Commit activity

Resources

Unclaimed servers have limited discoverability.

Looking for Admin?

If you are the server author, to access and configure the admin panel.

Latest Blog Posts

MCP directory API

We provide all the information about MCP servers via our MCP API.

curl -X GET 'https://glama.ai/api/mcp/v1/servers/kannanprabu/nuclei_mcp'

If you have feedback or need assistance with the MCP directory API, please join our Discord server