IDA
A Model Context Protocol server for IDA interaction and automation. This server provides tools to read IDA database via Large Language Models.
What is IDA?
IDA is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to model context protocol server for ida interaction and automation. this server provides tools to read ida database via large language models.
A Model Context Protocol server for IDA interaction and automation. This server provides tools to read IDA database via Large Language Models.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- ida_get_function_assembly_by_name
- ida_get_function_assembly_by_address
- ida_get_function_decompiled_by_name
- ida_get_function_decompiled_by_address
- ida_get_global_variable_by_name
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y mcp-server-idaManual Installation
npx -y mcp-server-idaConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use IDA
ida-mcp-server bridges IDA Pro — the industry-standard binary analysis and reverse engineering tool — with AI assistants through the Model Context Protocol. It lets LLMs read assembly code and decompiled pseudocode directly from an open IDA database by name or address, and look up global variable values, making AI-assisted reverse engineering workflows practical. Security researchers and malware analysts use it to have Claude explain disassembled functions, suggest variable names, and reason about binary behavior without copy-pasting code.
Prerequisites
- IDA Pro installed (version 7.x or later; 9.0+ for future idalib mode)
- Python 3.8 or later with pip or uv
- The IDA plugin file installed in IDA's plugin directory
- An MCP client such as Claude Desktop
Install the mcp-server-ida Python package
Install via uvx (recommended) or pip. The package provides the MCP server that Claude Desktop connects to.
# With uv (recommended)
uvx mcp-server-ida
# With pip
pip install mcp-server-idaInstall the IDA plugin
Copy the IDA plugin file from the package or repository into IDA Pro's plugin directory so IDA can communicate with the MCP server.
# Windows
copy ida_mcp_server_plugin.py "%APPDATA%\Hex-Rays\IDA Pro\plugins\"
# Linux/macOS
cp ida_mcp_server_plugin.py ~/.idapro/plugins/Open your binary in IDA Pro
Load the target binary in IDA Pro and let auto-analysis complete. The plugin must be running inside IDA for the MCP server to have access to the database.
Configure Claude Desktop
Add the ida MCP server block to your Claude Desktop config file.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ida": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["mcp-server-ida"]
}
}
}Query IDA database via Claude
Ask Claude to retrieve assembly or decompiled code for a function by name or address, or look up global variable values from the open IDA database.
IDA Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration using uvx to run mcp-server-ida.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ida": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["mcp-server-ida"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example reverse engineering queries once the IDA MCP server is connected.
- "Get the assembly for the function named 'sub_140001A30' from IDA"
- "Decompile the function at address 0x140001A30 and explain what it does"
- "Get the decompiled pseudocode for the 'main' function"
- "What is the value of the global variable 'g_config' in the IDA database?"
- "Show the assembly of 'encrypt_data' and suggest better variable names"Troubleshooting IDA
MCP server starts but returns 'IDA not connected' or no results
Ensure IDA Pro is open with a binary loaded and the ida_mcp_server_plugin.py plugin is active. Check IDA's Output window for plugin load messages. The plugin must be loaded before Claude sends any tool calls.
Function not found by name
IDA may have auto-named the function with a generic label like 'sub_XXXXXXXX'. Use ida_get_function_assembly_by_address with the hex address instead, or rename the function in IDA first, then query by the new name.
uvx command not found
Install uv: 'pip install uv' or follow https://docs.astral.sh/uv/. Alternatively use the pip installation: 'pip install mcp-server-ida' and set the command to 'python' with args ['-m', 'mcp_server_ida'] in your config.
Frequently Asked Questions about IDA
What is IDA?
IDA is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that model context protocol server for ida interaction and automation. this server provides tools to read ida database via large language models. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install IDA?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y mcp-server-ida. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with IDA?
IDA works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is IDA free to use?
Yes, IDA is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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