Apktool MCP
An MCP server that integrates with Apktool to provide live reverse engineering support for Android applications using Claude and other LLMs through the Model Context Protocol.
What is Apktool MCP?
Apktool MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to mcp server that integrates with apktool to provide live reverse engineering support for android applications using claude and other llms through the model context protocol.
An MCP server that integrates with Apktool to provide live reverse engineering support for Android applications using Claude and other LLMs through the Model Context Protocol.
This server falls under the Security category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- An MCP server that integrates with Apktool to provide live r
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx apktool-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Apktool MCP
The Apktool MCP Server bridges AI assistants like Claude with the Apktool reverse engineering toolkit, enabling live, conversational analysis of Android APK files through the Model Context Protocol. It exposes tools to decode APKs into readable smali bytecode and resource files, browse and modify the extracted code, rebuild modified APKs, and search for patterns such as hardcoded credentials or deprecated APIs — all without leaving your AI chat interface. Security researchers and mobile developers use it to automate routine VAPT (vulnerability assessment and penetration testing) tasks on Android applications.
Prerequisites
- Apktool installed and accessible on the system PATH (verify with `apktool -version`)
- Python 3.10 or later
- uv package manager (install from https://astral.sh/uv)
- The apktool-mcp-server source code downloaded from the GitHub releases page
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Cherry Studio
Install and verify Apktool
Apktool must be installed separately before the MCP server can function. Confirm it is on your PATH.
apktool -versionInstall uv
uv is required to manage Python dependencies and run the server. Install it with the official script.
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | shDownload and extract the server
Download the latest release archive from the GitHub releases page, then extract it to a permanent location.
unzip apktool-mcp-server-<version>.zip
cd apktool-mcp-serverInstall Python dependencies
Use uv to install the required packages httpx and fastmcp into a virtual environment.
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate
uv pip install httpx fastmcpConfigure your MCP client
Add the server to Claude Desktop's config file, pointing at the uv binary and the server script. Replace the paths with your actual installation locations.
Apktool MCP Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration for the Apktool MCP Server using uv to run the Python script.
{
"mcpServers": {
"apktool-mcp-server": {
"command": "/home/user/.local/bin/uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"/path/to/apktool-mcp-server",
"run",
"apktool_mcp_server.py"
]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for Android reverse engineering with the Apktool MCP Server connected to Claude.
- "Decode the APK at /path/to/app.apk and create a project called my-app"
- "List all smali directories in the my-app project"
- "Search for hardcoded API keys or URLs in all .smali and .xml files"
- "Get the AndroidManifest.xml from the my-app project and list all declared permissions"
- "Modify MainActivity.smali to add a log statement at the start of onCreate()"Troubleshooting Apktool MCP
decode_apk fails with 'apktool: command not found'
The server runs apktool as a subprocess and requires it to be on the PATH of the process running the MCP server. Install apktool and verify with `apktool -version`. On macOS, Homebrew's `brew install apktool` is the easiest path; on Linux, download the wrapper script from the Apktool website.
uv cannot find the Python interpreter and fails to create the virtual environment
Run `uv python install 3.11` to let uv download and manage a Python interpreter, then retry `uv venv`. Alternatively, specify the interpreter explicitly with `uv venv --python python3.11`.
MCP client shows 'server failed to start' after configuration
Check that the paths in the config JSON are absolute, not relative. The uv binary path can be found with `which uv`. Also confirm the .venv exists inside the apktool-mcp-server directory by running `uv venv` again if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions about Apktool MCP
What is Apktool MCP?
Apktool MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that mcp server that integrates with apktool to provide live reverse engineering support for android applications using claude and other llms through the model context protocol. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Apktool MCP?
Follow the installation instructions on the Apktool MCP GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Apktool MCP?
Apktool MCP works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Apktool MCP free to use?
Yes, Apktool MCP is open source and available under the Apache 2.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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