#network-security #security-audits #vulnerability #json

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.

Shane Milburn@sbmilburn

Install

openclaw skills install @sbmilburn/nmap-mcp

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

bash

# 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

json

{
  "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)

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