Wireshark MCP vs Privacyscrubber MCP
A side-by-side look at the Wireshark MCP and Privacyscrubber MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Wireshark MCP for security work as a local process; choose Privacyscrubber MCP for security as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Wireshark MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
wireshark_get_capabilities, wireshark_get_file_info, wireshark_merge_pcaps.
Choose Privacyscrubber MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You want tools like
audit_context, sanitize_text, scrub_text.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Security | Security |
| Quality signal | 67/100 · Great | 65/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | No auth required | API key required |
| Pricing | Free | Freemium |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 338 | 2 |
| Directory activity | 7 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 5 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 52 | 23 |
| Full listing | View Wireshark MCP | View Privacyscrubber MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Wireshark MCP tools 52
wireshark_get_capabilitiesGet Wireshark suite capabilities for this MCP server instance (available tools and versions).wireshark_get_file_infoGet capture file metadata (type, packet count, duration, size) via capinfos.wireshark_merge_pcapsMerge multiple capture files into one. input_files: comma-separated paths.wireshark_text2pcap_importConvert ASCII or hex dump into a capture file using text2pcap. encapsulation: link-layer type (default: ether).wireshark_list_interfacesList available network interfaces for capture.wireshark_captureCapture live network traffic. capture_filter: BPF syntax. ring_buffer: "filesize:1024,files:5".wireshark_filter_saveFilter packets from a pcap and save to a new file using a Wireshark display filter.wireshark_editcap_trimTrim capture to a timestamp window. Times in editcap format.wireshark_editcap_splitSplit a capture into smaller files by packet count or interval.wireshark_editcap_time_shiftAdjust all packet timestamps by a positive or negative offset in seconds.wireshark_editcap_deduplicateRemove duplicate packets within a sliding window (default: 5 packets).wireshark_aggregate[Primary statistics] Full-filter counts, groups, distinct values, numeric metrics, top-k, and time buckets. Field lists are comma-separated.- +40 more on the listing page
Privacyscrubber MCP tools 23
audit_contextSTEP 0 (Pre-Flight): Non-destructive security inspection of raw prompts or document chunks before sending to LLMs. Evaluates PII, secrets, risk severity (CLEAN, LOW, MODERATE, CRITICAL), and triggered regulatory frameworks (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI DSS) with zero text mutation.sanitize_textSTEP 1: Call this first. You MUST NOT process raw user data before calling this. Locally scrubs PII, secrets, and credentials (like API keys, passwords, emails, phones, names) from code, logs, or text. Replaces them with safe placeholders (e.g., [EMAIL_1], [API_KEY_1]). Keep your data secure before passing it to any LLM. (For in-code backend services or RAG vector pipelines outside of MCP, use '@privacyscrubber/sdk': npm i @privacyscrubber/sdk)scrub_textAlias for 'sanitize_text'. Locally scrubs PII and secrets before LLM ingestion.reveal_textSTEP 3: Call this last. You MUST pass your final generated response through this tool to restore tokens (e.g., [EMAIL_1]) back with the original private data from the local volatile RAM-only session map before showing it to the user.sanitize_fileReads a local file, sanitizes its contents using the selected profile, and outputs the safe version for AI analysis. Securely keeps original identifiers in memory.scrub_fileAlias for 'sanitize_file'. Reads and sanitizes a local file.audit_directory_for_piiScans a local directory for leaks of secrets, keys, and PII. Returns a summary report. Use this tool for Security Auditing.redact_fileAction/Redact: In-place redaction of a local file. Replaces PII and secrets with tokens and saves the file. By default, creates a .bak backup. Use dry_run=true to test without modifying.create_default_configCreates a default 'privacyscrubber.json' configuration file in the active workspace root directory if one does not exist. Includes template structures for custom regex rules and exclusion bypass patterns.generate_compliance_reportGenerates an official Zero-Trust Compliance Audit Certificate (GDPR, HIPAA, EU AI Act, SOC 2) for the current MCP session. Returns cryptographic session hash, masked entities breakdown, and compliance certification.mark_false_positiveMarks a previously detected token as a false positive. The original plaintext value will be excluded from all future sanitize_text calls in this session. Returns the restored original value and updated ignore list size.check_statusReturns the current PrivacyScrubber MCP tier, session usage, available profiles, and PRO upgrade instructions. Call this to see your license status or get setup help.- +11 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Wireshark MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"bx33661-wireshark-mcp": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"wireshark-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Privacyscrubber MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"moxno-privacyscrubber-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@privacyscrubber/mcp-server"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Wireshark MCP is categorized under Security and uses a local stdio subprocess. Privacyscrubber MCP belongs to Security and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Wireshark MCP for security work and Privacyscrubber MCP for security.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Wireshark MCP is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Privacyscrubber MCP is listed as freemium — a free tier with paid plans. Auth: api key required. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add bx33661-wireshark-mcp and moxno-privacyscrubber-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Wireshark MCP has a quality signal of 67/100 (Great) with 7 views, 0 installs and 338 GitHub stars. Privacyscrubber MCP has 65/100 (Great) with 5 views, 0 installs and 2 GitHub stars.