Headless IDA
headless-ida-mcp-server
What is Headless IDA?
Headless IDA is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to headless-ida-mcp-server
headless-ida-mcp-server
This server falls under the Developer Tools and Security categories on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- headless-ida-mcp-server
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx headless-idaConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Headless IDA
Headless IDA MCP Server bridges IDA Pro's headless analysis mode with the Model Context Protocol, allowing AI agents to analyze binary files and manipulate functions, variables, and code elements without launching the IDA Pro GUI. It builds on the headless-ida library by DennyDai and exposes a suite of MCP tools for reverse engineering tasks such as function renaming, cross-reference analysis, and decompilation. This makes it possible to integrate binary analysis into agentic workflows where an LLM can query and reason about compiled code.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.12 or higher installed
- IDA Pro with headless support (the idat executable) — a valid IDA Pro license is required
- The headless-ida library (https://github.com/DennyDai/headless-ida) installed and configured
- uv package manager installed
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop
Clone the repository
Clone the headless-ida-mcp-server repository to your local machine.
git clone https://github.com/cnitlrt/headless-ida-mcp-server.git
cd headless-ida-mcp-serverSet up the Python environment
Use uv to install Python 3.12 and create a virtual environment, then install the project dependencies.
uv python install 3.12
uv venv --python 3.12
uv pip install -e .Configure environment variables
Copy the example .env file and fill in your IDA Pro path, server host, port, and transport mode.
cp .env_example .env
# Edit .env and set:
# IDA_PATH=/home/ubuntu/idapro/idat
# PORT=8888
# HOST=127.0.0.1
# TRANSPORT=stdioStart the MCP server
Run the server using uv. It will load IDA Pro headlessly and expose binary analysis tools over MCP.
uv run headless_ida_mcp_serverAdd the server to your MCP client configuration
Configure your MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop) to launch the server by pointing to the uv run command in the project directory.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ida": {
"command": "/path/to/uv",
"args": ["--directory", "/path/to/headless-ida-mcp-server", "run", "headless_ida_mcp_server"]
}
}
}Headless IDA Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration using uv to run the headless IDA server in the cloned project directory.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ida": {
"command": "/home/user/.local/bin/uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"/home/user/headless-ida-mcp-server",
"run",
"headless_ida_mcp_server"
]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Use these prompts in your MCP client to perform reverse engineering tasks on a binary loaded in IDA Pro.
- "Load the binary /path/to/binary and list all functions"
- "Rename the function at address 0x401000 to 'parse_input'"
- "Show me the decompiled code for the function named 'main'"
- "Find all cross-references to the function at 0x402500"
- "List all strings found in the binary and their addresses"Troubleshooting Headless IDA
Server fails with 'idat not found' or IDA Pro launch error
Verify that IDA_PATH in your .env file points to the actual idat executable (not idaw or ida). Run the path directly in a terminal to confirm it is executable. IDA Pro must support headless mode — check with your IDA Pro license.
headless-ida library errors on startup
Make sure the headless-ida library from https://github.com/DennyDai/headless-ida is installed in the same virtual environment. Run `uv pip install git+https://github.com/DennyDai/headless-ida` if it is not included in the project's pyproject.toml.
MCP client cannot connect to the server
If TRANSPORT is set to 'sse', ensure the HOST and PORT in .env are accessible. For stdio transport (recommended for Claude Desktop), remove any HOST/PORT concerns and confirm the uv --directory path is correct and absolute.
Frequently Asked Questions about Headless IDA
What is Headless IDA?
Headless IDA is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that headless-ida-mcp-server It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Headless IDA?
Follow the installation instructions on the Headless IDA GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Headless IDA?
Headless IDA works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Headless IDA free to use?
Yes, Headless IDA is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Headless IDA in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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