mcp-wsl-exec

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Windows + Claude Desktop users to interact with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). Provides both read-only information gathering and secure command execution capabilities.

⚠️ Important: Who Should Use This?

✅ You SHOULD use this if:

• You're using Claude Desktop on Windows

• You need to interact with your WSL environment

• You want to provide WSL context to Claude (system info, processes, files, etc.)

❌ You DON'T need this if:

• You're using Claude Code (it has native bash access)

• You're on Linux/macOS (use native tools instead)

• You only need Windows PowerShell/CMD (use a different MCP server)

Related MCP server: Windows CLI MCP Server

Features

📊 Information Gathering (Read-Only)

• 🖥️ Get system information (OS, kernel, hostname)

• 📁 Browse directory contents

• 💾 Check disk usage

• ⚙️ List environment variables

• 🔄 Monitor running processes

🔧 Command Execution (With Safety)

• 🔒 Secure command execution in WSL environments

• ⚡ Built-in safety features:

  • Dangerous command detection

  • Command confirmation system

  • Path traversal prevention

  • Command sanitization

• 📁 Working directory support

• ⏱️ Command timeout functionality

• 🛡️ Protection against shell injection

Configuration

This server requires configuration through your MCP client. Here are examples for different environments:

Cline Configuration

Add this to your Cline MCP settings:

{
	"mcpServers": {
		"mcp-wsl-exec": {
			"command": "npx",
			"args": ["-y", "mcp-wsl-exec"]
		}
	}
}

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration:

{
	"mcpServers": {
		"mcp-wsl-exec": {
			"command": "npx",
			"args": ["-y", "mcp-wsl-exec"]
		}
	}
}

API

The server provides 7 MCP tools:

Information Gathering (Read-Only) 📊

These tools provide context about your WSL environment without making changes:

get_system_info

Get system information (OS version, kernel, hostname).

Parameters: None

get_directory_info

Get directory contents and file information.

Parameters:

• path (string, optional): Directory path (defaults to current directory)

• details (boolean, optional): Show detailed information (permissions, sizes, etc.)

get_disk_usage

Get disk space information.

Parameters:

• path (string, optional): Specific path to check (defaults to all filesystems)

get_environment

Get environment variables.

Parameters:

• filter (string, optional): Filter pattern to search for specific variables

list_processes

List running processes.

Parameters:

• filter (string, optional): Filter by process name

Command Execution (Potentially Destructive) 🔧

Use these tools when you need to make changes or run custom commands:

execute_command

Execute a command in WSL with safety checks and validation.

Parameters:

• command (string, required): Command to execute

• working_dir (string, optional): Working directory for command execution

• timeout (number, optional): Timeout in milliseconds

Note: Dangerous commands will require confirmation via confirm_command.

confirm_command

Confirm execution of a dangerous command that was flagged by safety checks.

Parameters:

• confirmation_id (string, required): Confirmation ID received from execute_command

• confirm (boolean, required): Whether to proceed with the command execution

Safety Features

Dangerous Command Detection

The server maintains a list of potentially dangerous commands that require explicit confirmation before execution, including:

• File system operations (rm, rmdir, mv)

• System commands (shutdown, reboot)

• Package management (apt, yum, dnf)

• File redirections (>, >>)

• Permission changes (chmod, chown)

• And more...

Command Validation

Commands are executed through bash -c, so normal shell syntax such as pipes, quotes, redirects, and command chaining is preserved. The server validates empty/null-byte inputs, quotes arguments used by built-in tools, and requires confirmation for potentially dangerous commands.

Development

Setup

1. Clone the repository

2. Install dependencies:

pnpm install

3. Build the project:

pnpm build

4. Run in development mode:

pnpm dev

Publishing

The project uses changesets for version management. To publish:

1. Create a changeset:

pnpm changeset

2. Version the package:

pnpm changeset version

3. Publish to npm:

pnpm release

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Built on the Model Context Protocol

• Designed for secure WSL command execution