nmap MCP server for AI-assisted network security auditing

Network scanning MCP server wrapping nmap. Provides 14 purpose-built tools for host discovery, port scanning (SYN/TCP/UDP), service & OS detection, NSE script execution, and vulnerability scanning. Returns structured JSON output. Includes scope enforcement (CIDR allowlist), audit logging, and scan persistence. Use when performing network security audits, asset discovery, or recon on authorized networks.

nmap-mcp Skill

MCP server that exposes nmap as structured tools with scope enforcement, audit logging, and persistent scan results.

Prerequisites

• nmap installed (/usr/bin/nmap or configure path in config.yaml)
• Python 3.10+ with fastmcp, python-nmap, pyyaml
• For SYN/OS/ARP scans: cap_net_raw capability on the nmap binary (see Setup)

Setup

# 1. Install Python dependencies
pip install fastmcp python-nmap pyyaml

# 2. Grant nmap raw socket capability (required for SYN + OS detection)
#    Only needs to be done once. Re-run after nmap upgrades.
sudo setcap cap_net_raw+ep $(which nmap)

# 3. Verify it worked
getcap $(which nmap)
# Expected: /usr/bin/nmap cap_net_raw=ep

# 4. Configure scope (edit config.yaml — set your allowed CIDRs)
# 5. Register with mcporter (see mcporter.json entry below)

mcporter.json Entry

{
  "nmap": {
    "command": "python3",
    "args": ["-u", "/path/to/nmap-mcp/server.py"],
    "type": "stdio",
    "env": {
      "NMAP_CONFIG": "/path/to/nmap-mcp/config.yaml"
    }
  }
}

Configuration (config.yaml)

# Scope enforcement — targets outside these CIDRs are rejected
allowed_cidrs:
  - "127.0.0.0/8"
  - "192.168.1.0/24"   # your local network

# Paths (defaults to relative paths if omitted)
audit_log: "./audit.log"
scan_dir: "./scans"
nmap_bin: "/usr/bin/nmap"

# Timeouts in seconds
timeouts:
  quick: 120
  standard: 300
  deep: 600

Tools

Tool	Purpose	Privileges
nmap_ping_scan	ICMP+TCP host discovery	none
nmap_arp_discovery	ARP host discovery (LAN)	cap_net_raw
nmap_top_ports	Fast scan of N common ports	none
nmap_syn_scan	SYN half-open port scan	cap_net_raw
nmap_tcp_scan	Full TCP connect port scan	none
nmap_udp_scan	UDP port scan	cap_net_raw
nmap_service_detection	Service/version detection	none
nmap_os_detection	OS fingerprinting	cap_net_raw
nmap_script_scan	Run named NSE scripts	none
nmap_vuln_scan	Run vuln NSE category	none
nmap_full_recon	SYN+service+OS+scripts	cap_net_raw
nmap_custom_scan	Arbitrary flags (scoped+logged)	varies
nmap_list_scans	List recent saved scans	none
nmap_get_scan	Retrieve scan by ID	none

Running Tests

python3 -m pytest tests/ -v
# 28 tests covering scope enforcement, audit logging,
# scan persistence, injection guards, and live scans