CyberChef API
๐ โ๏ธ - MCP server for interacting with the CyberChef server API which will allow an MCP client to utilise the CyberChef operations.
What is CyberChef API?
CyberChef API is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to ๐ โ๏ธ - mcp server for interacting with the cyberchef server api which will allow an mcp client to utilise the cyberchef operations.
๐ โ๏ธ - MCP server for interacting with the CyberChef server API which will allow an MCP client to utilise the CyberChef operations.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- ๐ โ๏ธ - MCP server for interacting with the CyberChef server
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx cyberchef-apiConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use CyberChef API
The CyberChef API MCP Server bridges a self-hosted CyberChef instance with any MCP-compatible AI client, giving LLMs the ability to execute CyberChef's full library of data transformation operations through natural language. It exposes tools to list available operation categories, look up operations by category, bake multi-step recipes against input data, process multiple inputs in batch, and run CyberChef's 'Magic' auto-detection to identify encodings automatically. Security analysts and developers use it to decode, encrypt, hash, or transform data without leaving their AI workflow.
Prerequisites
- A running CyberChef server instance with a reachable HTTP API endpoint
- Python 3.10 or later and the uv package manager installed
- Claude Desktop or another MCP-compatible client
- Network access from the MCP server to your CyberChef API URL
Deploy or locate your CyberChef server
The MCP server requires an existing CyberChef server running its HTTP API. You can self-host using the official Docker image: docker run -d -p 8080:80 ghcr.io/gchq/cyberchef. Note the URL of the API endpoint (e.g., http://localhost:8080/api).
docker run -d -p 8080:80 ghcr.io/gchq/cyberchefClone the MCP server repository
Clone the server source and enter the directory.
git clone https://github.com/slouchd/cyberchef-api-mcp-server.git
cd cyberchef-api-mcp-serverInstall dependencies with uv
Install the MCP CLI and project dependencies using uv.
uv add "mcp[cli]"Test the server in dev mode
Run the server in development mode pointing at your CyberChef API URL to verify connectivity before wiring it into Claude Desktop.
CYBERCHEF_API_URL="http://localhost:8080/api" uv run mcp dev server.pyInstall the server for Claude Desktop
Register the server with your MCP client under the name 'CyberChef API MCP Server'.
uv add "mcp[cli]" && mcp install server.py --name "CyberChef API MCP Server"Add CYBERCHEF_API_URL to the Claude Desktop config
Open claude_desktop_config.json and ensure the CYBERCHEF_API_URL environment variable is set so the server knows where to reach your CyberChef instance.
{
"mcpServers": {
"cyberchef-api": {
"command": "uv",
"args": ["run", "server.py"],
"env": {
"CYBERCHEF_API_URL": "http://localhost:8080/api"
}
}
}
}CyberChef API Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration pointing at a local CyberChef API instance.
{
"mcpServers": {
"cyberchef-api": {
"command": "uv",
"args": ["run", "/path/to/cyberchef-api-mcp-server/server.py"],
"env": {
"CYBERCHEF_API_URL": "http://localhost:8080/api"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
These prompts exercise encoding detection, recipe execution, and batch processing.
- "What is 'SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=' when decoded from Base64?"
- "Bake a CyberChef recipe that converts hex to UTF-8 text on this input: 48656c6c6f"
- "Use the Magic operation to detect the encoding of this string and decode it: dGVzdCBkYXRh"
- "List all CyberChef operation categories available."
- "Batch decode these three Base64 strings and return the results: ['SGk=', 'V29ybGQ=', 'Rm9v']"Troubleshooting CyberChef API
Server starts but all tool calls return a connection error
Verify CYBERCHEF_API_URL is set correctly and that your CyberChef server is running. Test connectivity with: curl $CYBERCHEF_API_URL/operations
mcp install command is not found
Install the MCP CLI first: uv add 'mcp[cli]'. If uv is not installed, follow the uv installation guide at https://github.com/astral-sh/uv.
perform_magic_operation returns no results for certain inputs
The Magic operation requires CyberChef's auto-detection to find a match. Try providing a more specific recipe via bake_recipe with an explicit operation like 'From_Base64' instead.
Frequently Asked Questions about CyberChef API
What is CyberChef API?
CyberChef API is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that ๐ โ๏ธ - mcp server for interacting with the cyberchef server api which will allow an mcp client to utilise the cyberchef operations. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install CyberChef API?
Follow the installation instructions on the CyberChef API GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with CyberChef API?
CyberChef API works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is CyberChef API free to use?
Yes, CyberChef API is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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