IDA Pro
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to interact with IDA Pro for reverse engineering and binary analysis tasks.
What is IDA Pro?
IDA Pro is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to model context protocol (mcp) server that enables ai assistants to interact with ida pro for reverse engineering and binary analysis tasks.
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to interact with IDA Pro for reverse engineering and binary analysis tasks.
This server falls under the Security category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assist
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx ida-pro-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use IDA Pro
The IDA Pro MCP server creates a bridge between AI assistants and the IDA Pro interactive disassembler, enabling reverse engineers to query binary analysis results, search for patterns, retrieve disassembly, and execute IDA Python scripts through natural language. Instead of manually navigating IDA Pro's interface to find functions, strings, or byte sequences, you can ask Claude to investigate a binary and receive structured analysis results directly in your chat. It operates via a local HTTP connection on 127.0.0.1:9045, with an IDA Pro plugin running on the disassembler side and a Node.js MCP server bridging to your AI client.
Prerequisites
- IDA Pro installed with IDA Python support (version 7.x or later recommended)
- Node.js 18 or later for the MCP server component
- npm available in your terminal
- Claude Desktop or another MCP-compatible AI client
- A binary file loaded in IDA Pro before using the server tools
Clone the IDA Pro MCP server repository
Clone the repository to your local machine. The repo contains both the IDA Pro plugin (Python) and the Node.js MCP server.
git clone https://github.com/fdrechsler/mcp-server-idapro.git
cd mcp-server-idaproInstall the Node.js MCP server dependencies and build
Install npm dependencies and compile the TypeScript MCP server that bridges your AI client to the IDA Pro plugin.
npm install
npm run buildInstall the IDA Pro remote server plugin
Copy the ida_remote_server.py file to your IDA Pro plugins directory. The exact path depends on your IDA Pro installation and operating system.
# macOS / Linux (adjust IDA Pro version path)
cp ida_remote_server.py ~/idapro/plugins/
# Windows (adjust path for your IDA Pro installation)
copy ida_remote_server.py "C:\Program Files\IDA Pro 8.x\plugins\"Load a binary in IDA Pro and start the remote server
Open IDA Pro, load the binary you want to analyze, let IDA Pro complete its auto-analysis, and then start the remote server plugin. It listens on 127.0.0.1:9045 by default.
Configure your AI client to connect to the MCP server
Add the IDA Pro MCP server to your Claude Desktop configuration. Point the args to the compiled dist/index.js file.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ida-pro": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-server-idapro/dist/index.js"]
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop and test with a binary query
Restart Claude Desktop and ask it to list all functions in the loaded binary. A successful response with function names and addresses confirms the full pipeline is operational.
IDA Pro Examples
Client configuration
Configuration for Claude Desktop to connect to the IDA Pro MCP server. The Node.js server communicates with IDA Pro's plugin on localhost:9045.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ida-pro": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-server-idapro/dist/index.js"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
These prompts demonstrate the IDA Pro MCP server's reverse engineering assistance capabilities.
- "List all functions in the currently loaded binary with their start addresses."
- "Get the disassembly for the 20 instructions starting at address 0x401000."
- "Search for the string 'password' in the binary — is it case sensitive in the source?"
- "Find all exported symbols in this DLL and identify which ones look like they handle authentication."
- "Search for the byte sequence 'FF 15' (indirect call) in the .text section and list the addresses."
- "Extract all strings from this binary and look for any that resemble API keys or credentials."
- "Run this IDA Python script to rename all functions that start with 'sub_' and contain a socket call."Troubleshooting IDA Pro
Connection refused on 127.0.0.1:9045
The IDA Pro remote server plugin must be actively running inside IDA Pro. Verify the plugin loaded by checking Edit > Plugins menu in IDA Pro or reviewing the IDA Pro output window for 'remote server listening on port 9045' messages. The plugin only runs while IDA Pro is open with a binary loaded.
IDA Python plugin fails to load or throws an import error
Ensure IDA Python is enabled in your IDA Pro installation and that the Python version matches what IDA Pro expects. Run the script manually in IDA Pro's Python console (File > Script Command) to see the exact error. Check that the script was copied to the correct plugins directory for your IDA Pro version.
get_disassembly returns empty results for a valid address
Ensure IDA Pro has completed auto-analysis before querying (the progress bar at the bottom must be gone). Wait for analysis to finish or manually trigger it with Edit > Reanalyze Program. Also confirm the address format — use hexadecimal strings like '0x401000' rather than decimal integers.
Frequently Asked Questions about IDA Pro
What is IDA Pro?
IDA Pro is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that model context protocol (mcp) server that enables ai assistants to interact with ida pro for reverse engineering and binary analysis tasks. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install IDA Pro?
Follow the installation instructions on the IDA Pro GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with IDA Pro?
IDA Pro works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is IDA Pro free to use?
Yes, IDA Pro is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
IDA Pro Alternatives — Similar Security Servers
Looking for alternatives to IDA Pro? Here are other popular security servers you can use with Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
Casdoor
★ 13.6kAn open-source Agent-first Identity and Access Management (IAM) /LLM MCP & agent gateway and auth server with web UI supporting OpenClaw, MCP, OAuth, OIDC, SAML, CAS, LDAP, SCIM, WebAuthn, TOTP, MFA, Face ID, Google Workspace, Azure AD
ghidraMCP
★ 9.0kAn Model Context Protocol server that enables LLMs to autonomously reverse engineer applications by exposing Ghidra's decompilation and analysis tools. It allows AI agents to list code structures, rename methods, and analyze binaries directly through
HexStrike AI
★ 8.9kHexStrike AI MCP Agents is an advanced MCP server that lets AI agents (Claude, GPT, Copilot, etc.) autonomously run 150+ cybersecurity tools for automated pentesting, vulnerability discovery, bug bounty automation, and security research. Seamlessly b
IDA Pro MCP
★ 8.7kEnables 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.
Anthropic Cybersecurity Skills
★ 6.6k754 structured cybersecurity skills for AI agents · Mapped to 5 frameworks: MITRE ATT&CK, NIST CSF 2.0, MITRE ATLAS, D3FEND & NIST AI RMF · agentskills.io standard · Works with Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Codex CLI, Cursor, Gemini CLI & 20+ platform
Hooker
★ 5.1k🔥🔥 hooker is a Frida-based reverse engineering toolkit for Android. It offers a user-friendly CLI, universal scripts, auto hook generation, memory roaming to detect activities/services, one-click SOCKS5 proxy setup, Frida JustTrustMe, and BoringSSL u
Browse More Security MCP Servers
Explore all security servers available in the MCPgee directory. Each server includes setup guides for Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
Set Up IDA Pro 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
Ready to use IDA Pro?
Browse our complete directory of 33,000+ MCP servers, read setup guides for your editor, and start building with the Model Context Protocol.