Attack Surface MCP Se… vs Kernel MCP Server | AllMCPs
Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison
Attack Surface MCP Server vs Kernel MCP Server
In-depth architectural comparison of the Attack Surface MCP Server and Kernel MCP Server MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.
At a Glance & Executive Verdict
Attack Surface MCP Server
Developer Tools · Local stdio
Quality: 52/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required
Kernel MCP Server
Developer Tools · Local stdio
Quality: 57/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required
Verdict Summary: Choose Attack Surface MCP Server if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a local process. Choose Kernel MCP Server if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.
Which MCP Server Should You Choose?
Choose Attack Surface MCP Server when:
You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Flagship workflow. Maps a domain's external surface end to end: CT-log subdomain discovery → DNS liveness → (standard+) DNS records, TLS posture, HTTP headers/tech → optional RDAP/WHOIS → (thorough + key) per-IP Shodan enrichment. Returns a structured surface map and a defensive assessment of obser…
attacksurface_enumerate_subdomains
Passive subdomain discovery from Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh → Certspotter → TLS-SAN fallback chain), with DNS resolution to mark which names are live. Per-source provenance; no DNS brute-forcing.
attacksurface_resolve_dns
Resolve and enumerate DNS records (A/AAAA/CNAME/MX/NS/TXT/CAA) for one or more hosts across multiple public resolvers, with optional reverse DNS (PTR). Per-resolver values surface propagation gaps.
attacksurface_inspect_tls
Inspect TLS/SSL posture via a real read-only handshake: protocol, cipher, full certificate chain, SANs, validity window, days-to-expiry, issuer, validation status. Reports invalid/expired/self-signed certs instead of failing.
Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations
Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).
Attack Surface MCP Server is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Kernel MCP Server belongs to Developer Tools using local stdio subprocess. Select Attack Surface MCP Server when you need capabilities focused on developer tools and Kernel MCP Server when you require tools for developer tools.
Passive HTTP(S) probe: one GET following redirects. Returns status, redirect chain, headers, a security-header audit (HSTS/CSP/X-Frame-Options/cookie flags/CORS reflection), and an evidence-bound technology fingerprint.
attacksurface_lookup_registration
Registration and ownership lookup via RDAP (JSON; WHOIS fallback). A domain returns registrar, status, lifecycle events, nameservers, DNSSEC; an IP/CIDR returns netblock, allocation CIDRs, origin ASN, country.
attacksurface_lookup_host
Infrastructure intelligence for a single IP (open ports, banners, software versions, ASN, geo) or a faceted internet-wide search, via Shodan. **Requires `SHODAN_API_KEY`** — returns a typed `source_unavailable` error when unset; the rest of the server is unaffected.
attacksurface_recon_guidance
Offline synthesis over findings gathered so far. Returns a prioritized **defensive** review plan plus pre-filled follow-up calls (which certs to renew, which hosts to inspect, which software versions to check for CVEs against an external NVD/OSV server). No external calls.
Kernel MCP Server Tools (21)
manage_browsers
Create, update, list, get, and delete browser sessions, and read archived telemetry for active or deleted sessions. Supports headless/stealth modes, profiles, proxies, viewports, extensions, names and tags, and SSH tunneling. The browser tools (`manage_browsers`, `computer_action`, `execute_playwri…
manage_profiles
Setup (with guided live browser session), search/list with pagination, get, and delete browser profiles for persisting cookies and logins.
manage_projects
Create, list, get, update, and delete organization projects. Inspect and update per-project resource limits.
manage_api_keys
Create, list, get, update, and delete org-wide or project-scoped API keys. Create returns the plaintext key once.
manage_browser_pools
Create, list, get, delete, and flush pools of pre-warmed browsers. Acquire and release browsers from pools.
Start, stop, and list MP4 video replay recordings for a browser session. Session-scoped: start once, run your automation, then stop. Requires a paid Kernel plan.
manage_extensions
List and delete uploaded browser extensions.
manage_apps
List/search apps, invoke actions, get/list/delete deployments, and get invocation results.
manage_auth_connections
Create, list, get, update, delete, login, submit, inspect timelines, and wait for managed-auth connections in every client. Supports health-check and automatic re-auth settings, managed-auth browser configuration, and canonical interaction-bound field/choice submissions. Use domain-filtered `list`…
manage_credentials
Create, list, get, update, and delete stored credentials; fetch a current TOTP code for credentials with a configured totp_secret.
manage_credential_providers
Create, list, get, update, and delete external credential providers (e.g. 1Password); list available items and test the provider connection.