Acknowledgments

What is Headless IDA MCP Server?

Headless IDA MCP Server is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that uses IDA Pro’s headless mode (idat) to analyze binary files. It provides a suite of tools via MCP for managing and manipulating functions, variables, and more. It is intended for users who want to run IDA Pro analysis through an MCP client rather than interactively.

How to use Headless IDA MCP Server?

Install Python 3.12 or higher, IDA Pro with headless support, clone the repository, set up a virtual environment with uv, and install dependencies. Copy the .env_example to .env and configure IDA_PATH, PORT, HOST, and TRANSPORT (sse or stdio). Start the server with uv run headless_ida_mcp_server. Connect using an MCP client such as the Model Context Protocol Inspector or by adding a configuration block to your client.

Key features of Headless IDA MCP Server

• Uses IDA Pro headless mode for binary analysis
• Provides MCP tools to manage functions and variables
• Supports both SSE and stdio transport modes
• Configurable via environment variables (port, host, transport)
• Runs as a standalone CLI application

Use cases of Headless IDA MCP Server

• Automating binary analysis with IDA Pro in headless mode
• Integrating IDA Pro analysis into MCP-compatible clients
• Performing static analysis on binaries without interactive GUI

FAQ from Headless IDA MCP Server

What are the prerequisites to run Headless IDA MCP Server?

Python 3.12 or higher and IDA Pro with headless support (idat). The headless-ida library is also used.

What transport modes are supported?

SSE and stdio, configured via the TRANSPORT environment variable in the .env file.

Where is the IDA Pro executable path specified?

In the .env file under the IDA_PATH variable, for example /home/ubuntu/idapro/idat.

Is Headless IDA MCP Server an IDA Pro plugin?

No, it runs independently as a CLI server that invokes IDA Pro in headless mode, rather than as an interactive plugin.