Headless IDA
A server that provides remote binary analysis capabilities through IDA Pro's headless mode, allowing users to manage and manipulate functions, variables, and other binary elements via the Multi-Client Protocol.
What is Headless IDA?
Headless IDA is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to server that provides remote binary analysis capabilities through ida pro's headless mode, allowing users to manage and manipulate functions, variables, and other binary elements via the multi-client p...
A server that provides remote binary analysis capabilities through IDA Pro's headless mode, allowing users to manage and manipulate functions, variables, and other binary elements via the Multi-Client Protocol.
This server falls under the Developer Tools and Security categories on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A server that provides remote binary analysis capabilities t
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx headless-ida-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Headless IDA
Headless IDA MCP Server exposes IDA Pro's headless binary analysis engine through the Model Context Protocol, allowing AI assistants to perform reverse engineering tasks on compiled binaries without a GUI. The server provides a suite of MCP tools to manage functions, rename variables, inspect disassembly, and manipulate other binary elements programmatically — making it valuable for security researchers and reverse engineers who want to automate repetitive analysis steps or guide IDA through complex binaries using natural language.
Prerequisites
- IDA Pro (commercial) installed with a valid license and the idat headless executable accessible
- Python 3.12 with the uv package manager installed
- A binary file to analyze
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop
Clone the repository and set up Python 3.12
Clone the project and use uv to install Python 3.12 and create an isolated virtual environment.
git clone https://github.com/cnitlrt/headless-ida-mcp-server.git
cd headless-ida-mcp-server
uv python install 3.12
uv venv --python 3.12Install the package in editable mode
Install the server package and its dependencies into the virtual environment.
uv pip install -e .Create the .env configuration file
Create a .env file in the project root specifying the path to IDA Pro's headless executable and the server transport settings.
IDA_PATH=/path/to/idat
PORT=8888
HOST=127.0.0.1
TRANSPORT=stdioConfigure Claude Desktop
Add the server to your Claude Desktop configuration using the uv run command, pointing to the project directory.
{
"mcpServers": {
"headless-ida": {
"command": "/path/to/uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"/absolute/path/to/headless-ida-mcp-server",
"run",
"headless_ida_mcp_server"
]
}
}
}Verify with MCP Inspector
Use the MCP Inspector tool to test the server tools interactively before connecting through Claude Desktop.
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspectorHeadless IDA Examples
Client configuration
claude_desktop_config.json entry for the Headless IDA MCP server using uv.
{
"mcpServers": {
"headless-ida": {
"command": "/Users/yourname/.local/bin/uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"/Users/yourname/projects/headless-ida-mcp-server",
"run",
"headless_ida_mcp_server"
]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for binary analysis tasks through the IDA MCP server.
- "Load the binary at /tmp/crackme and list all defined functions"
- "Rename the function at address 0x401000 to 'parse_header'"
- "Show me the disassembly of the function named 'main'"
- "List all local variables in the function at 0x402500 and suggest meaningful names based on their usage"
- "Find all cross-references to the string 'password' in the binary"Troubleshooting Headless IDA
IDA_PATH not found or permission denied
Confirm that the idat binary exists at the path specified in .env and is executable (chmod +x /path/to/idat on Linux/macOS). On macOS, IDA Pro's idat is typically found inside the IDA Pro.app bundle at IDA Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/idat.
Server starts but no tools appear in the MCP client
Check that TRANSPORT=stdio in .env, since Claude Desktop expects stdio transport. If you set TRANSPORT=sse, the server binds to a port and Claude Desktop cannot auto-connect to it. Run the MCP Inspector to verify which tools are registered.
Analysis fails silently on large binaries
Headless IDA analysis can take significant time on large or obfuscated binaries. Check the server logs for timeout or out-of-memory errors. Try reducing the scope by analyzing a specific function address rather than the entire binary.
Frequently Asked Questions about Headless IDA
What is Headless IDA?
Headless IDA is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that server that provides remote binary analysis capabilities through ida pro's headless mode, allowing users to manage and manipulate functions, variables, and other binary elements via the multi-client protocol. 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
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Quick Config Preview
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