zebbern-kali-mcp 1.0.0

MCP server for Kali Linux security tools — connects AI agents to 145+ pentest tools via Docker

Zebbern Kali MCP Server

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Kali Linux penetration testing. This project enables AI assistants (like GitHub Copilot) to directly execute security tools on a Kali Linux system through a standardized API.

Features

• 145+ MCP Tool Functions across 20 modules — complete penetration testing toolkit
• 22+ External Tools - Nmap, SQLMap, Hydra, Metasploit, Nuclei, and more
• VPN Management - WireGuard & OpenVPN with auto SOCKS5 proxy for Windows bridging
• CTF Platform Integration - CTFd & rCTF API support (challenges, flags, scoreboard)
• Browser Automation - Headless Chromium via Playwright for SPA testing
• API Security Testing - GraphQL introspection, JWT analysis, FFUF, Arjun
• Active Directory Tools - BloodHound, Kerberoasting, Pass-the-Hash, LDAP enumeration
• Network Pivoting - Chisel, SSH tunneling, Ligolo-ng, ProxyChains
• SSH Audit - Comprehensive SSH server security analysis
• Evidence Collection - Screenshots, notes, and findings management
• Session Management - Metasploit sessions, reverse shells, SSH connections

Documentation

Full documentation available in the docs/ folder:

• Docker Setup - Zero-config container install
• VM Setup - Native Kali Linux install
• Architecture - System design and components
• Tools Reference - All 145+ MCP tools documented
• API Reference - REST API endpoints
• Workflows - Practical pentest examples
• Security - Hardening recommendations
• Troubleshooting - Common issues

To view docs locally:

pip install mkdocs mkdocs-material
mkdocs serve

Quick Start

Docker + uvx (Recommended)

1. Start the Kali backend:

# Download just the compose file — no full clone needed
curl -sLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zebbern/zebbern-kali-mcp/main/docker-compose.yml
docker compose up -d

2. Add to VS Code (.vscode/mcp.json or global MCP config):

{
  "servers": {
    "kali-tools": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["zebbern-kali-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Restart VS Code — done. uvx auto-downloads the MCP client from PyPI.

Full Docker Guide → — env vars, VPN/SOCKS proxy, image variants, networking details.

Kali VM

git clone https://github.com/zebbern/zebbern-kali-mcp.git
cd zebbern-kali-mcp
sudo ./install.sh

Then point VS Code at your Kali IP — see the guide for MCP config setup.

Full VM Guide → — bash/python/remote/manual install, firewall, systemd service, VS Code config.

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐       HTTP/REST      ┌─────────────────┐
│   VS Code       │ ◄──────────────────► │   Kali Linux    │
│   + Copilot     │                      │   API Server    │
│                 │                      │   (Flask)       │
│   MCP Client    │                      │                 │
│   (Python)      │                      │   Pentest Tools │
└─────────────────┘                      └─────────────────┘

Usage

Once installed, ask your AI assistant to use the Kali tools:

"Scan 10.10.10.5 with nmap" "Run nuclei against example.com" "Connect to the HTB VPN and start recon"

The assistant calls tools through the MCP server — no manual commands needed.

API Endpoints → | Workflows → | Tools Reference →

Installed Tools

30+ security tools across reconnaissance, web/API testing, password cracking, exploitation, Active Directory, network pivoting, and security auditing — all pre-installed in Docker or installed via the VM setup script.

Full Tool List →

Security Warning

⚠️ This server provides unrestricted access to powerful penetration testing tools.

• Only run on isolated networks or authorized test environments
• Never expose to the public internet
• Use strong authentication if accessible remotely
• Ensure you have proper authorization before testing any systems

Troubleshooting

See the Troubleshooting Guide → for common issues (service failures, connection refused, missing tools, VPN/SOCKS proxy).

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please read Contributing → for guidelines.

Built on the Model Context Protocol