Nessus MCP Server

Nessus MCP Server is an MCP server that connects AI assistants to the Tenable Nessus vulnerability scanner. It allows cybersecurity analysts, DevOps engineers, and compliance teams to manage network assessments and inspect security flaws directly through Model Context Protocol clients. The server enables users to trigger vulnerability scans on target hosts, check real-time scan progress, retrieve comprehensive scan outputs, and list historical scans. Additionally, users can look up scan templates, query specific vulnerability details, or search for known exploits and common vulnerabilities by keyword, such as Log4j. Nessus MCP Server includes a built-in mock mode, allowing teams to test tool configurations and automated prompts locally without providing live Nessus API credentials. When connected to a production Nessus instance via API keys, it acts as a direct administrative and analytical interface for automated security audits.

Category: DevOps, CI/CD & Version Control

Tags: compliance, cybersecurity, nessus, tenable, vulnerability-scanning

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How to install and configure Nessus MCP Server

1. Ensure Node.js version 16 or higher is installed. 2. Clone the repository and build the project: git clone https://github.com/Cyreslab-AI/nessus-mcp-server.git cd nessus-mcp-server npm install npm run build 3. Open your Claude for Desktop configuration file (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows). 4. Add the server entry under mcpServers: json { "mcpServers": { "nessus": { "command": "node", "args": ["/path/to/nessus-mcp-server/build/index.js"], "env": { "NESSUS_URL": "https://your-nessus-instance:8834", "NESSUS_ACCESS_KEY": "your-access-key", "NESSUS_SECRET_KEY": "your-secret-key" } } } } 5. For testing in mock mode, omit the env section.

What you can do with Nessus MCP Server

• Launching automated basic network vulnerability scans against specified target IP addresses directly from an AI prompt - Monitoring the operational status and progress of ongoing Nessus vulnerability scans in real time - Retrieving detailed vulnerability reports and completed scan outputs for security analysis and documentation - Searching for specific security issues such as log4j vulnerabilities across Nessus scan records by keyword - Testing scan orchestration workflows in client environments using the built-in mock mode without active API keys

Key facts

• https://github.com/Cyreslab-AI/nessus-mcp-server
• DevOps, CI/CD & Version Control, Security & Compliance
• compliance, cybersecurity, nessus, tenable, vulnerability-scanning

Part of MCP Servers

What can Nessus MCP Server do?

Nessus MCP Server enables AI assistants to interact with the Tenable Nessus vulnerability scanner. It provides tools to list scan templates, launch new scans, check running scan statuses, retrieve scan results, list past scans, view detailed vulnerability information, and search security flaws by keyword.

How do I install Nessus MCP Server?

Clone the repository from GitHub, run npm install, and compile it with npm run build using Node.js 16 or higher. Then add the built index.js script as a Node command in your Claude for Desktop configuration file.

Does Nessus MCP Server require a live Nessus instance to test?

No. The server includes a fully functional mock mode enabled by default. If you omit the Nessus URL, access key, and secret key environment variables, the server returns mock vulnerability data for testing and development.

Is Nessus MCP Server open source?

Yes, Nessus MCP Server is open source and licensed under the MIT license. You can view the code, report issues, or contribute directly on the project's GitHub repository.