Install missing tools via apt: sudo apt install . Kali includes most tools by default.

MCP-Kali-Server MCP — Use Cases, Install & Live Demo

Why use it

Key features

Lightweight API bridge to Kali Linux terminal commands
Compatible with multiple AI backends (OpenAI, Claude, DeepSeek, Ollama)
Built-in support for Nmap, Metasploit, Hydra, SQLMap, WPScan, and more
Web challenge support — AI can interact with websites and APIs to capture flags
Simple client-server architecture with configurable host/port

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

mcp-kali-server.replay ▶ ready

0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-kali-server": {
      "command": "TODO",
      "args": [
        "See README: https://github.com/Wh0am123/MCP-Kali-Server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-kali-server": {
      "command": "TODO",
      "args": [
        "See README: https://github.com/Wh0am123/MCP-Kali-Server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-kali-server": {
      "command": "TODO",
      "args": [
        "See README: https://github.com/Wh0am123/MCP-Kali-Server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-kali-server": {
      "command": "TODO",
      "args": [
        "See README: https://github.com/Wh0am123/MCP-Kali-Server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "mcp-kali-server",
      "command": "TODO",
      "args": [
        "See README: https://github.com/Wh0am123/MCP-Kali-Server"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "mcp-kali-server": {
      "command": {
        "path": "TODO",
        "args": [
          "See README: https://github.com/Wh0am123/MCP-Kali-Server"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add mcp-kali-server -- TODO 'See README: https://github.com/Wh0am123/MCP-Kali-Server'

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use MCP-Kali-Server

How to solve CTF challenges with AI-assisted Kali Linux

👤 CTF participants who want AI help running security tools ⏱ ~60 min intermediate

When to use: You're in a CTF competition and want AI to help run and interpret Kali tools.

Prerequisites

Kali Linux with MCP server running — Clone repo, pip install -r requirements.txt, ./server.py
MCP client connected — Run ./client.py --server http://kali-ip:5000

Flow

Enumerate the target

Run an nmap scan on 10.10.10.1 with service detection and OS fingerprinting. What services are running?✓ Copied

→ Nmap results with open ports, services, and version info
Exploit a finding

Port 80 has a PHP application. Run nikto for vulnerability scanning and gobuster for directory enumeration.✓ Copied

→ Scan results with interesting findings
Crack credentials

Found a login at /admin. Use hydra with rockyou.txt to brute-force the login.✓ Copied

→ Credentials found or exhausted

Outcome: Systematic CTF enumeration and exploitation with AI interpreting results.

Pitfalls

Running too many concurrent scans — Run one tool at a time to avoid overloading the target and confusing results

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

mcp-kali-server + filesystem

Save scan results and CTF writeups to local files

Save all our scan results and the solution steps to ~/ctf/htb-machine-writeup.md.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

Tool	Inputs	When to call
execute_command	command: str	Run any terminal command on the Kali machine
nmap	target: str, options?: str	Network scanning and service detection
sqlmap	url: str, options?: str	SQL injection testing
hydra	target: str, service: str, wordlist?: str	Brute-force authentication testing

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota: N/A — all tools run locally on Kali
Tokens per call: 300–2000 tokens per command output
Monetary: Free — requires a Kali Linux installation
Tip: Use targeted scans instead of full-range sweeps to get faster, cleaner results.

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Credential storage: N/A — connects to local Kali instance

Data egress: Commands execute on the Kali machine. Network scans reach target IPs.

⚠ This tool is designed for authorized security research, CTF competitions, and defensive analysis only. Do not use it against systems you don't own or have written authorization to test.
This server provides direct terminal access to a Kali machine — it can execute any command.
Always run in an isolated lab environment, never on production networks.
Unauthorized penetration testing is illegal in most jurisdictions.

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

Connection refused to server

Ensure server.py is running on the Kali machine and the port is accessible. Check firewall rules.

Verify: curl http://kali-ip:5000/health

Command timeout

Some security tools take a long time. Increase the timeout or use less aggressive scan options.

Verify: Try a simple command like 'whoami' to test connectivity

Tool not found

Install missing tools via apt: sudo apt install <tool-name>. Kali includes most tools by default.

Verify: which <tool-name>

Alternatives

MCP-Kali-Server vs others

Alternative	When to use it instead	Tradeoff
hexstrike-ai	You want AI agents that autonomously decide which tools to run	More intelligence but less direct control
mcp-security-hub	You want Dockerized security tools with better isolation	Better isolation but more setup overhead

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

🔍 Browse all 400+ MCP servers and Skills