IDA Pro MCP
Enables AI-assisted reverse engineering in IDA Pro by providing tools to analyze binaries, decompile functions, manage comments, search patterns, and interact with the IDA database through natural language.
What is IDA Pro MCP?
IDA Pro MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to enables ai-assisted reverse engineering in ida pro by providing tools to analyze binaries, decompile functions, manage comments, search patterns, and interact with the ida database through natural lan...
Enables AI-assisted reverse engineering in IDA Pro by providing tools to analyze binaries, decompile functions, manage comments, search patterns, and interact with the IDA database through natural language.
This server falls under the Security category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Enables AI-assisted reverse engineering in IDA Pro by provid
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx ida-pro-mcpConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use IDA Pro MCP
IDA Pro MCP bridges the industry-leading IDA Pro disassembler with AI assistants, enabling natural language-driven reverse engineering of binary executables. It exposes the full power of IDA's analysis engine — decompilation, disassembly, cross-reference tracing, symbol renaming, type declarations, and debugger control — as MCP tools, allowing Claude or other AI clients to collaboratively analyze malware, firmware, or unknown binaries alongside the analyst.
Prerequisites
- IDA Pro (version 7.x or 8.x) installed with a valid license, or idalib for headless analysis
- Python 3.9+ (IDA Pro's bundled Python or system Python compatible with your IDA version)
- uv package manager for the headless idalib mode (install with 'pip install uv')
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
- The target binary loaded in IDA Pro before using the GUI plugin mode
Install the IDA Pro MCP plugin
Install the plugin into IDA Pro using pip pointing at the GitHub archive. This installs both the IDA plugin and the MCP bridge.
pip install https://github.com/mrexodia/ida-pro-mcp/archive/refs/heads/main.zipConfigure the plugin inside IDA Pro
After installing, run the install and config commands to register the plugin with IDA and generate the MCP server configuration.
ida-pro-mcp --install
ida-pro-mcp --configAdd the server to your MCP client configuration
The --config command outputs a config snippet. Add it to your Claude Desktop config file. The server connects to IDA Pro's running instance on the local socket.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ida-pro-mcp": {
"command": "python3",
"args": ["-m", "ida_pro_mcp"],
"env": {
"IDA_MCP_MAX_WORKERS": "4"
}
}
}
}Open a binary in IDA Pro and start the MCP server
Load your target binary in IDA Pro. The plugin will start the MCP server automatically, or you can start it manually from the plugin menu. Wait for IDA's auto-analysis to complete before querying.
Connect Claude and begin analysis
With IDA Pro open and the plugin running, connect Claude Desktop. Ask Claude to analyze functions, trace cross-references, or rename symbols. Always use the int_convert tool for number base conversions — never ask Claude to do them mentally.
IDA Pro MCP Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop config block for the IDA Pro MCP server with worker count configuration.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ida-pro-mcp": {
"command": "python3",
"args": ["-m", "ida_pro_mcp"],
"env": {
"IDA_MCP_MAX_WORKERS": "4"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for AI-assisted reverse engineering with IDA Pro MCP.
- "Decompile the function at address 0x401000 and explain what it does."
- "List all functions that call sub_403C20 and summarize their purpose."
- "Rename all functions in the crypto module based on their behavior."
- "Find all string references to 'password' and trace where they are used."
- "Build a callgraph starting from main() with depth 3."
- "Analyze the binary's entry point and describe the initialization sequence."
- "Add a comment on the function at 0x405A00 explaining it performs AES encryption."Troubleshooting IDA Pro MCP
Plugin not loading in IDA Pro
Verify the plugin was installed into IDA's correct Python environment. Run 'pip list' inside IDA Pro's Python console (File > Script Command) and confirm ida-pro-mcp is listed. If not, reinstall using IDA Pro's bundled pip: 'idapython -m pip install <url>'.
AI produces wrong addresses or incorrect hex values
Always use the int_convert MCP tool for any number base conversion — never ask Claude to convert hex manually. The IDA Pro MCP documentation explicitly warns: 'NEVER convert number bases yourself. Use the int_convert MCP tool if needed!' to prevent hallucinations.
MCP server times out during complex analysis
Increase IDA_MCP_MAX_WORKERS for parallel operations or set it to 0 for unlimited workers. Also increase the client timeout. For very large binaries, wait for IDA's auto-analysis to fully complete (the progress bar disappears) before issuing complex queries.
Frequently Asked Questions about IDA Pro MCP
What is IDA Pro MCP?
IDA Pro MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables ai-assisted reverse engineering in ida pro by providing tools to analyze binaries, decompile functions, manage comments, search patterns, and interact with the ida database through natural language. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install IDA Pro MCP?
Follow the installation instructions on the IDA Pro MCP GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with IDA Pro MCP?
IDA Pro MCP works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is IDA Pro MCP free to use?
Yes, IDA Pro MCP 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 IDA Pro MCP in Your Editor
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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