Ida Pro MCP

What mrexodia/ida-pro-mcp does

The mrexodia/ida-pro-mcp MCP server lets an MCP-compatible AI client work with an IDA Pro analysis database. Its intended use is interactive reverse engineering: an agent can retrieve analysis information, inspect decompiler output, examine assembly when needed, and improve the database by adding comments, renaming functions or variables, and correcting types.

The project is aimed at binary-analysis workflows such as crackme investigation and malware analysis. The README also describes producing Markdown findings and reports as part of an agent-driven process. Results depend on the quality of the underlying IDA analysis and on how specifically the agent is prompted.

How it works

The server runs alongside IDA Pro and makes IDA analysis operations available through MCP. A supported client sends requests to the server, which works against the open analysis database. The project supports stdio and HTTP/SSE operation. An SSE endpoint can be started on a local address, while stdio is intended for clients that launch the process directly.

For headless use, the repository documents the idalib-mcp supervisor. It can open a binary at startup or start without one and later load files with idb_open(...). Each open database uses its own worker process. Workers can outlive the supervisor, can be adopted by a later supervisor on the same host, and exit after an idle period without requests.

Setup and configuration

Use Python 3.11 or later and IDA Pro 8.3 or later; IDA Free is not supported. The README recommends IDA 9 and requires idalib to be activated globally with idapyswitch. The activation step uses the Python activation script shipped with the local IDA installation. The uv tool must also be installed and available on PATH.

Installation options include plugins for Claude Code and Codex, a Kimi Code plugin, and manual GUI installation. The manual route installs the project from its GitHub archive and then runs ida-pro-mcp --install to configure the MCP servers and IDA plugin. IDA and the MCP client must be fully restarted after that installation. The README notes that the GUI plugin is no longer recommended and is expected to be deprecated in favor of idalib-mcp.

Tools and capabilities

The documented workflow supports:

• Retrieving decompiler output and disassembly for investigation.
• Adding analysis comments to the IDA database.
• Renaming functions and variables to clarify behavior.
• Changing function, variable, and argument types, including pointer and array types.
• Converting integer representations with the int_convert MCP tool.
• Opening binaries in headless sessions with idb_open(...).
• Connecting through stdio or an HTTP/SSE transport.

The mrexodia/ida-pro-mcp MCP server is intended to help an agent derive conclusions from the binary rather than rely on assumptions. The supplied prompting guidance recommends resolving library code with tools such as Lumina or FLIRT and addressing obfuscation before asking an LLM to analyze difficult samples.

Limitations and notes

IDA Pro licensing and installation are prerequisites, and IDA Free cannot be used. The README warns that language models can hallucinate, especially when interpreting numeric conversions, so prompts should direct them to use int_convert instead of converting bases independently. Obfuscated code—including encrypted strings, import hashing, control-flow flattening, code encryption, and anti-decompilation techniques—can reduce analysis accuracy.

The repository documents automatic report creation as a workflow outcome, not as a substitute for validating the agent's conclusions. For headless operation, use the documented idalib-mcp commands rather than assuming the GUI plugin is required. Database workers are host-local and persistent until their idle timeout; this behavior does not provide a separate shared-mode switch.

The mrexodia/ida-pro-mcp MCP server should therefore be selected when the environment already has a compatible, licensed IDA Pro installation and the user wants an MCP client to assist with reverse engineering inside that environment.

Getting started with this mrexodia/ida-pro-mcp MCP server

Always refer to the official documentation for the most accurate and up-to-date information.