Kali Mcp Server

🔐 Kali MCP Server

Kali Linux Penetration Testing MCP Server v2

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server providing 42 professional-grade security testing tools from Kali Linux, optimized for ARM64 (Apple Silicon) Macs and Docker MCP Gateway.

[](https://www.docker.com/) [](https://www.apple.com/mac/) [](LICENSE) [](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/)

---

⚠️ LEGAL WARNING & ETHICAL USE

READ THIS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS SOFTWARE

This MCP server provides powerful penetration testing and security assessment tools. You MUST:

✅ DO:

• Only use on systems you own
• Only use on systems you have explicit written permission to test
• Use for educational and authorized security assessments
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations
• Document proper authorization before testing

❌ DO NOT:

• Test systems without authorization
• Use for malicious purposes
• Violate computer fraud or abuse laws
• Test production systems without proper approval
• Share or distribute unauthorized access

Unauthorized access to computer systems is ILLEGAL and may result in criminal prosecution. The authors assume NO LIABILITY for misuse of this software.

---

📖 Documentation

⭐ AI-First Security Testing:

• 🤖 [Warp AI Terminal Guide](docs/WARPTERMINALGUIDE.md) - RECOMMENDED: Comprehensive AI-assisted security testing with Warp Terminal and Docker MCP Gateway

Quick Start:

• 🚀 [Quick Start Guide](QUICK_START.md) - Get started in 5 minutes

Complete Guides:

• 📚 [Deployment Guide](DEPLOYMENT_GUIDE.md) - Comprehensive deployment instructions
• 🐳 [Docker MCP Gateway Setup](SETUPDOCKERMCP.md) - Detailed Docker MCP Gateway configuration

---

📋 Table of Contents

• [Documentation](#documentation)
• [Overview](#overview)
• [Architecture](#architecture)
• [ARM64 Compatibility](#arm64-compatibility)
• [Installation](#installation)
• [Usage](#usage)
• [Tool Reference](#tool-reference)
• [Docker MCP Security Model](#docker-mcp-security-model)
• [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
• [Performance Considerations](#performance-considerations)
• [Contributing](#contributing)
• [License](#license)

---

🎯 Overview

This MCP server provides AI assistants like Claude with access to professional penetration testing tools for authorized security assessments. It includes:

• 42 Security Tools organized into 8 categories
• ARM64 Optimized for Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3)
• Docker MCP Compatible - runs securely without raw socket access
• Input Sanitization - prevents command injection attacks
• Non-root Execution - enhanced security posture
• Comprehensive Logging - tracks all operations

Key Features

| Feature | Description | |---------|-------------| | Network Reconnaissance | 11 tools including nmap (6 variants), DNS enumeration (5 tools) | | Web Testing | 11 tools including nikto, sqlmap, directory fuzzing | | SSL/TLS Testing | 3 tools for cipher and vulnerability assessment | | SMB/Windows | 5 tools for Windows/AD enumeration | | Password Cracking | 3 tools - hydra, john, hashcat (CPU-only on ARM64) | | Vulnerability Research | 3 tools - searchsploit, Metasploit search/info, nuclei | | OSINT | 2 tools - theHarvester, whois lookups | | Combined Operations | 4 multi-tool workflows for comprehensive assessments |

---

🏗️ Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│          Warp Terminal / Claude Desktop / MCP Clients        │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
                           │ MCP Protocol (stdio)
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Docker MCP Gateway                        │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ Security Controls:                                    │  │
│  │ • --security-opt no-new-privileges                   │  │
│  │ • Non-root user execution                            │  │
│  │ • No raw socket capabilities                         │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
                           │ Docker Bridge
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Kali Linux Docker Container (ARM64)            │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ kali_pentest_server.py (FastMCP)                     │  │
│  │ • Input sanitization with shlex.quote()              │  │
│  │ • Command execution via subprocess                   │  │
│  │ • Output formatting and truncation                   │  │
│  └──────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘  │
│                         │                                   │
│  ┌──────────────────────▼───────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ Security Tools (42):                                 │  │
│  │ • nmap (6 variants), dnsrecon, subfinder, amass     │  │
│  │ • nikto, wpscan, sqlmap, ffuf, gobuster, nuclei     │  │
│  │ • sslscan, testssl, sslyze                          │  │
│  │ • enum4linux, crackmapexec, smbclient               │  │
│  │ • hydra, john, hashcat                              │  │
│  │ • searchsploit, metasploit, theHarvester            │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
                   Target Systems
            (Authorized Testing Only)

---

💻 ARM64 Compatibility

This MCP server is specifically optimized for Apple Silicon (ARM64) Macs. The official Kali Linux Docker image supports ARM64, and most tools work excellently.

✅ Fully Compatible Tools

All tools listed below work perfectly on ARM64:

• Network: nmap, dnsrecon, dnsenum, fierce, subfinder, amass, whois
• Web: nikto, wpscan, sqlmap, dirb, ffuf, gobuster, wfuzz, whatweb, wafw00f, nuclei
• SSL/TLS: sslscan, sslyze, testssl.sh
• SMB/Windows: enum4linux, nbtscan, crackmapexec, smbclient, responder
• Passwords: hydra, john (CPU-mode)
• Research: searchsploit, metasploit-framework
• OSINT: theHarvester, whois

⚠️ Tools with Limitations on ARM64

| Tool | Limitation | Notes | |------|------------|-------| | hashcat | CPU-Only Mode | No GPU acceleration on ARM64; use --force flag | | metasploit | Some Module Issues | Most modules work; some x86-specific exploits unavailable |

❌ Excluded Tools (Raw Socket Requirements)

These tools require raw socket capabilities incompatible with Docker MCP's security model:

• netdiscover - Requires CAPNETRAW for ARP scanning
• arp-scan - Requires CAPNETRAW for ARP operations
• masscan - Requires CAPNETRAW for raw packet operations

Alternative: Use nmap -sT -Pn for TCP connect scans without raw sockets, or nmap's various scan modes for comprehensive port scanning.

---

📦 Installation

Quick Installation

For quick setup, see the [Quick Start Guide](QUICK_START.md).

For comprehensive installation instructions, see the [Deployment Guide](DEPLOYMENT_GUIDE.md).

Prerequisites

1. Docker Desktop - Download here
2. Docker MCP Gateway - See [Docker MCP Gateway Setup Guide](SETUPDOCKERMCP.md)
3. Apple Silicon Mac (M1/M2/M3) or ARM64-compatible system
4. Warp Terminal, Claude Desktop, or other MCP client

Building the Docker Image

1. Clone or download this repository

git clone https://github.com/scottcrosby-securebine/kali-mcp-server.git
cd kali-mcp-server

1. Build the Docker image

docker build -t kali-mcp-server:latest .

Expected build time: 15-30 minutes (includes downloading Kali packages and compiling Go tools)

1. Verify the build

docker images | grep kali-mcp-server

You should see:

kali-mcp-server   latest         ~3.2GB

---

🚀 Usage

Configuration Guides

Choose your preferred client:

• Warp Terminal (Recommended): See [Warp AI Terminal Guide](docs/WARPTERMINALGUIDE.md) - AI-assisted security testing
• Claude Desktop: See [Quick Start Guide](QUICKSTART.md) or [Deployment Guide](DEPLOYMENTGUIDE.md)
• Docker MCP Gateway: See [Docker MCP Gateway Setup Guide](SETUPDOCKERMCP.md)

Example Usage

Once configured, you can ask Claude things like:

Network Reconnaissance

"Scan 192.168.1.100 with nmap to find open ports"
"Use subfinder to discover subdomains of example.com"
"Perform comprehensive DNS enumeration on target.local"

Web Application Testing

"Run nikto scan on http://testsite.local"
"Test http://example.com/login?id=1 for SQL injection"
"Scan WordPress site at http://blog.local for vulnerable plugins"
"Use ffuf to find hidden directories at http://target.com/FUZZ"

SSL/TLS Testing

"Test SSL configuration of api.example.com"
"Run comprehensive SSL scan on secure.local:8443"
"Check example.com for SSL vulnerabilities"

SMB & Windows

"Enumerate SMB shares on 192.168.1.50"
"Scan the network 192.168.1.0/24 for NetBIOS information"
"Use crackmapexec to enumerate SMB on target host"

Password Testing

"Use hydra to test SSH on 192.168.1.100 with username admin"
"Crack MD5 hashes in /tmp/hashes.txt using john"

Research & OSINT

"Search searchsploit for Apache 2.4.49 vulnerabilities"
"Search Metasploit for WordPress exploits"
"Gather information about example.com using theHarvester"
"Get WHOIS information for github.com"

Combined Operations

"Perform quick reconnaissance on example.com"
"Do a full security audit of https://testapp.local"
"Sweep my test network 192.168.1.0/24 for devices"

---

🛠️ Tool Reference

Network Reconnaissance & Scanning (11 tools)

| Tool | Description | Parameters | Example | |------|-------------|------------|---------| | nmap_scan | Basic TCP connect port scan | target, ports | nmap_scan target="192.168.1.1" ports="80,443" | | nmap_port_scan | Scan specific ports | target, ports | nmap_port_scan target="192.168.1.1" ports="22,80,443" | | nmap_service_scan | Service version detection | target, ports | nmap_service_scan target="example.com" | | nmap_comprehensive_scan | Service detection with NSE scripts | target, ports | nmap_comprehensive_scan target="192.168.1.100" | | nmap_script_scan | Run specific NSE script categories | target, ports, scripts | nmap_script_scan target="192.168.1.100" scripts="vuln" | | nmap_vuln_scan | Vulnerability scanning with NSE vuln scripts | target | nmap_vuln_scan target="192.168.1.100" | | dns_enum | DNS enumeration (nslookup, dig, host) | domain | dns_enum domain="example.com" | | dns_recon | Advanced DNS reconnaissance | domain | dns_recon domain="target.com" | | subfinder_scan | Fast subdomain discovery | domain | subfinder_scan domain="example.com" | | amass_enum | Comprehensive OWASP Amass enumeration | domain, mode | amass_enum domain="target.com" mode="passive" | | fierce_scan | DNS recon with zone transfer attempts | domain | fierce_scan domain="example.com" |

Web Application Testing (11 tools)

| Tool | Description | Parameters | Example | |------|-------------|------------|---------| | nikto_scan | Web server vulnerability scanner | target, port | nikto_scan target="example.com" port="80" | | wpscan_scan | WordPress vulnerability scanner | target, enumerate | wpscan_scan target="http://blog.com" enumerate="vp" | | dirb_scan | Directory brute-forcing | target, wordlist | dirb_scan target="http://example.com" wordlist="common" | | ffuf_scan | Fast web fuzzer | target, wordlist, extensions | ffuf_scan target="http://example.com/FUZZ" | | gobuster_scan | High-speed directory/DNS brute-forcing | target, wordlist, mode | gobuster_scan target="http://example.com" mode="dir" | | wfuzz_scan | Advanced web fuzzing | target, wordlist, hide_code | wfuzz_scan target="http://example.com/FUZZ" | | sqlmap_scan | SQL injection testing | target, data, parameter | sqlmap_scan target="http://example.com/page?id=1" | | whatweb_scan | Web technology fingerprinting | target, aggression | whatweb_scan target="example.com" aggression="1" | | wafw00f_scan | WAF detection | target | wafw00f_scan target="http://example.com" | | nuclei_scan | Template-based vulnerability scanner | target, templates, severity | nuclei_scan target="http://example.com" severity="high" | | web_headers | HTTP header analysis | target | web_headers target="http://example.com" |

SSL/TLS Testing (3 tools)

| Tool | Description | Parameters | Example | |------|-------------|------------|---------| | sslscan_scan | SSL/TLS cipher and protocol testing | target, port | sslscan_scan target="example.com" port="443" | | testssl_scan | Comprehensive SSL/TLS vulnerability assessment | target, port | testssl_scan target="api.example.com" | | sslyze_scan | Fast SSL/TLS configuration analysis | target, port | sslyze_scan target="secure.example.com" |

SMB & Windows Enumeration (5 tools)

| Tool | Description | Parameters | Example | |------|-------------|------------|---------| | enum4linux_scan | SMB/CIFS enumeration | target | enum4linux_scan target="192.168.1.50" | | nbtscan_scan | NetBIOS nameserver scanner | target | nbtscan_scan target="192.168.1.0/24" | | crackmapexec_scan | Windows/AD network enumeration | target, protocol | crackmapexec_scan target="192.168.1.100" protocol="smb" | | responder_analyze | Information about Responder tool | - | responder_analyze (returns usage info) | | smb_enum | SMB share enumeration | target | smb_enum target="192.168.1.50" |

Password & Credential Testing (3 tools)

| Tool | Description | Parameters | Example | |------|-------------|------------|---------| | hydra_attack | Network service password brute-forcing | target, service, username, password_list | hydra_attack target="192.168.1.100" service="ssh" username="admin" | | john_crack | Password hash cracking | hash_file, format | john_crack hash_file="/tmp/hashes.txt" format="raw-md5" | | hashcat_crack | Advanced password cracking (CPU-only on ARM64) | hash_file, mode, wordlist | hashcat_crack hash_file="/tmp/hashes.txt" mode="0" |

Vulnerability Research & Exploitation (3 tools)

| Tool | Description | Parameters | Example | |------|-------------|------------|---------| | searchsploit_search | Search exploit database | query | searchsploit_search query="Apache 2.4" | | metasploit_search | Search Metasploit modules | query | metasploit_search query="wordpress" | | metasploit_info | Get Metasploit module information | module | metasploit_info module="exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue" |

OSINT & Information Gathering (2 tools)

| Tool | Description | Parameters | Example | |------|-------------|------------|---------| | theharvester_scan | Email, subdomain, and host gathering | domain, source | theharvester_scan domain="example.com" source="google" | | whois_lookup | Domain registration information | domain | whois_lookup domain="example.com" |

Combined Operations (4 tools)

| Tool | Description | Parameters | Example | |------|-------------|------------|---------| | quick_recon | Fast multi-tool reconnaissance | target | quick_recon target="example.com" | | full_recon | Comprehensive multi-tool assessment | target | full_recon target="example.com" | | web_audit | Complete web application audit | target | web_audit target="http://testapp.local" | | `network

…

Source & license

This open-source MCP server is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: scottcrosby-securebine
• Source: scottcrosby-securebine/kali-mcp-server
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.