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mcp-shodan

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MCP server for querying the Shodan API

79 stars JavaScriptDeveloper Kits Updated Nov 3, 2025

Documentation

Shodan MCP Server

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MCP Registry

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for querying the Shodan API and Shodan CVEDB. This server provides comprehensive access to Shodan's network intelligence and security services, including IP reconnaissance, DNS operations, vulnerability tracking, and device discovery. All tools provide structured, formatted output for easy analysis and integration.

Installing via Claude Code

bash
claude mcp add --transport stdio --env SHODAN_API_KEY=your-shodan-api-key shodan -- npx -y @burtthecoder/mcp-shodan

Installing via Codex CLI

bash
codex mcp add shodan --env SHODAN_API_KEY=your-shodan-api-key -- npx -y @burtthecoder/mcp-shodan

Installing via Gemini CLI

bash
gemini mcp add -e SHODAN_API_KEY=your-shodan-api-key shodan npx -y @burtthecoder/mcp-shodan

Installing via Smithery

To install Shodan Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

bash
npx -y @smithery/cli install @burtthecoder/mcp-shodan --client claude

Installing Manually

1. Install the server globally via npm:

bash
npm install -g @burtthecoder/mcp-shodan

2. Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shodan": {
      "command": "mcp-shodan",
      "env": {
        "SHODAN_API_KEY": "your-shodan-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration file location:

  • macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
  • Windows: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`

3. Restart Claude Desktop

Alternative Setup (From Source)

If you prefer to run from source or need to modify the code:

1. Clone and build:

bash
git clone https://github.com/BurtTheCoder/mcp-shodan.git
cd mcp-shodan
npm install
npm run build

2. Add to your Claude Desktop configuration:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shodan": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-shodan/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "SHODAN_API_KEY": "your-shodan-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Features

  • Network Reconnaissance: Query detailed information about IP addresses, including open ports, services, and vulnerabilities
  • DNS Operations: Forward and reverse DNS lookups for domains and IP addresses
  • Vulnerability Intelligence: Access to Shodan's CVEDB for detailed vulnerability information, CPE lookups, and product-specific CVE tracking
  • Device Discovery: Search Shodan's database of internet-connected devices with advanced filtering

Tools

1. IP Lookup Tool

  • Name: `ip_lookup`
  • Description: Retrieve comprehensive information about an IP address, including geolocation, open ports, running services, SSL certificates, hostnames, and cloud provider details if available
  • Parameters:
    • `ip` (required): IP address to lookup
  • Returns:
    • IP Information (address, organization, ISP, ASN)
    • Location (country, city, coordinates)
    • Services (ports, protocols, banners)
    • Cloud Provider details (if available)
    • Associated hostnames and domains
    • Tags

2. Shodan Search Tool

  • Name: `shodan_search`
  • Description: Search Shodan's database of internet-connected devices
  • Parameters:
    • `query` (required): Shodan search query
    • `max_results` (optional, default: 10): Number of results to return
  • Returns:
    • Search summary with total results
    • Country-based distribution statistics
    • Detailed device information including:
      • Basic information (IP, organization, ISP)
      • Location data
      • Service details
      • Web server information
      • Associated hostnames and domains

3. CVE Lookup Tool

  • Name: `cve_lookup`
  • Description: Query detailed vulnerability information from Shodan's CVEDB
  • Parameters:
    • `cve` (required): CVE identifier in format CVE-YYYY-NNNNN (e.g., CVE-2021-44228)
  • Returns:
    • Basic Information (ID, published date, summary)
    • Severity Scores:
      • CVSS v2 and v3 with severity levels
      • EPSS probability and ranking
    • Impact Assessment:
      • KEV status
      • Proposed mitigations
      • Ransomware associations
    • Affected products (CPEs)
    • References

4. DNS Lookup Tool

  • Name: `dns_lookup`
  • Description: Resolve domain names to IP addresses using Shodan's DNS service
  • Parameters:
    • `hostnames` (required): Array of hostnames to resolve
  • Returns:
    • DNS resolutions mapping hostnames to IPs
    • Summary of total lookups and queried hostnames

5. Reverse DNS Lookup Tool

  • Name: `reverse_dns_lookup`
  • Description: Perform reverse DNS lookups to find hostnames associated with IP addresses
  • Parameters:
    • `ips` (required): Array of IP addresses to lookup
  • Returns:
    • Reverse DNS resolutions mapping IPs to hostnames
    • Summary of total lookups and results

6. CPE Lookup Tool

  • Name: `cpe_lookup`
  • Description: Search for Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) entries by product name
  • Parameters:
    • `product` (required): Name of the product to search for
    • `count` (optional, default: false): If true, returns only the count of matching CPEs
    • `skip` (optional, default: 0): Number of CPEs to skip (for pagination)
    • `limit` (optional, default: 1000): Maximum number of CPEs to return
  • Returns:
    • When count is true: Total number of matching CPEs
    • When count is false: List of CPEs with pagination details

7. CVEs by Product Tool

  • Name: `cves_by_product`
  • Description: Search for vulnerabilities affecting specific products or CPEs
  • Parameters:
    • `cpe23` (optional): CPE 2.3 identifier (format: cpe:2.3:part:vendor:product:version)
    • `product` (optional): Name of the product to search for CVEs
    • `count` (optional, default: false): If true, returns only the count of matching CVEs
    • `is_kev` (optional, default: false): If true, returns only CVEs with KEV flag set
    • `sort_by_epss` (optional, default: false): If true, sorts CVEs by EPSS score
    • `skip` (optional, default: 0): Number of CVEs to skip (for pagination)
    • `limit` (optional, default: 1000): Maximum number of CVEs to return
    • `start_date` (optional): Start date for filtering CVEs (format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS)
    • `end_date` (optional): End date for filtering CVEs (format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS)
  • Notes:
    • Must provide either cpe23 or product, but not both
    • Date filtering uses published time of CVEs
  • Returns:
    • Query information
    • Results summary with pagination details
    • Detailed vulnerability information including:
      • Basic information
      • Severity scores
      • Impact assessments
      • References

Requirements

Troubleshooting

API Key Issues

If you see API key related errors (e.g., "Request failed with status code 401"):

1. Verify your API key:

    2. Common Error Codes:

      3. Configuration Steps:

      a. Get your API key from Shodan Account

      b. Add it to your configuration file:

      json
      {
              "mcpServers": {
                "shodan": {
                  "command": "mcp-shodan",
                  "env": {
                    "SHODAN_API_KEY": "your-actual-api-key-here"
                  }
                }
              }
            }

      c. Save the config file

      d. Restart Claude Desktop

      4. Testing Your Key:

        bash
        curl "https://api.shodan.io/dns/resolve?hostnames=google.com&key=your-api-key"

        Module Loading Issues

        If you see module loading errors:

        1. For global installation: Use the simple configuration shown in Quick Start

        2. For source installation: Ensure you're using Node.js v18 or later

        Development

        Build the project:

        bash
        npm install
        npm run build

        Test interactively with FastMCP's built-in dev tool:

        bash
        npx fastmcp dev build/index.js

        Error Handling

        The server includes comprehensive error handling for:

        • Invalid API keys
        • Rate limiting
        • Network errors
        • Invalid input parameters
        • Invalid CVE formats
        • Invalid CPE lookup parameters
        • Invalid date formats
        • Mutually exclusive parameter validation

        Version History

        • v1.0.22: Published to the official MCP Registry — added `server.json` manifest, CLI install support for Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI
        • v1.1.0: Migrated from raw `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk` to FastMCP — modular tool files, automatic schema validation, simplified error handling
        • v1.0.12: Added reverse DNS lookup and improved output formatting
        • v1.0.7: Added CVEs by Product search functionality and renamed vulnerabilities tool to cve_lookup
        • v1.0.6: Added CVEDB integration for enhanced CVE lookups and CPE search functionality
        • v1.0.0: Initial release with core functionality

        Contributing

        1. Fork the repository

        2. Create a feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature`)

        3. Commit your changes (`git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'`)

        4. Push to the branch (`git push origin feature/amazing-feature`)

        5. Open a Pull Request

        License

        This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

        Frequently asked questions

        What is mcp-shodan?

        mcp-shodan is MCP server for querying the Shodan API

        How do I install mcp-shodan?

        Open the GitHub repository and follow its README. Most MCP servers are added to your client's MCP config, then called by your agent.

        Is mcp-shodan open source?

        Yes — it is hosted on GitHub at https://github.com/BurtTheCoder/mcp-shodan and has 79 stars.

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