Apktool MCP Server

What zinja-coder/apktool-mcp-server MCP server does

zinja-coder/apktool-mcp-server MCP server exposes Apktool-backed operations to an MCP client. Its workflow starts with decoding an APK into a project containing resources and smali code. An AI client can then inspect AndroidManifest.xml, apktool.yml, smali directories, smali files, and resource files through separate MCP tools.

The server also supports edits. Agents can modify selected smali or resource files, clean a project before rebuilding, and call the build operation to produce an APK from a decoded Apktool project. These capabilities suit static inspection, reverse-engineering exercises, vulnerability review, and targeted changes to decoded application files.

How it works

The repository provides a Python server entry point named apktool_mcp_server.py. It is intended to run locally as an stdio MCP server, with an MCP client launching the script through uv. Apktool must be installed separately and available in the environment; the README recommends checking it with apktool -version before using the server.

A typical workflow is to decode an APK, query its manifest and metadata, enumerate smali or resource files, search file contents, and retrieve specific files for analysis. After changes are made, the project can be cleaned and rebuilt. The server does not replace Apktool; it provides MCP-accessible operations around that tool.

Setup and configuration

To set up zinja-coder/apktool-mcp-server MCP server, download a release archive or obtain the repository, install Apktool, and install uv. The README lists httpx and fastmcp as optional dependency installation targets when dependency problems occur, and also describes creating a virtual environment with uv.

Claude Desktop can launch the server using a configuration entry whose command is the local path to uv. Its arguments specify the server directory, run mode, and apktool_mcp_server.py entry point. The directory and executable paths must be replaced with real absolute paths on the host. The README also gives an equivalent stdio configuration pattern for Cherry Studio. The project reports testing with Claude Desktop and recommends a separate local MCP client for Ollama-based use.

Tools and capabilities

Available operations include:

• Decode an APK with Apktool.
• Build an APK from a decoded project.
• Read AndroidManifest.xml and apktool.yml.
• List smali directories and files, with optional package-prefix filtering.
• Read and modify smali files by class name.
• List, read, and modify resource files, with optional resource-type filtering.
• Search files by pattern and specified extensions.
• Clean a project before rebuilding.

These tools provide file-level access for prompts such as reviewing permissions, locating API usage, searching for URLs or credentials, inspecting exported components, and applying targeted edits. The listed tool surface does not establish that the server performs a complete automated security assessment.

Limitations and notes

The repository describes the project as early-stage and warns that bugs, crashes, and logical errors may occur. Apktool is a required external dependency, and the README does not describe automatic installation of it. The documented integration is local rather than a hosted service, so the MCP client must be able to start the Python entry point and access the relevant APK and project files.

Some README examples mention ADB-related operations and checking the installed Apktool version, but the current tool list does not include those as server capabilities; ADB functionality is identified as planned for migration to another server. zinja-coder/apktool-mcp-server MCP server is therefore best evaluated as an Apktool project interface, not as a general Android device management service.