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SpiderFoot MCP Server

SpiderFoot MCP Agent

A Node.js implementation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes SpiderFoot's functionality as tools. This project provides both an MCP server and a web client for interacting with the SpiderFoot web interface.

Features

  • MCP Server: Exposes SpiderFoot functionality through the Model Context Protocol

  • Web Client: Programmatic interface to interact with SpiderFoot's web interface

  • TypeScript Support: Full TypeScript support for better development experience

  • Docker Support: Easy deployment using Docker

  • Modular Design: Easy to extend with new functionality

Requirements

  • Node.js 18+ (recommended 20+)

  • A local SpiderFoot instance (Docker or direct installation)

    • Default web interface URL: http://127.0.0.1:5001

  • Docker (optional, for containerized deployment)

Setup

Prerequisites

  1. Ensure you have a running instance of SpiderFoot

  2. Clone this repository:

    git clone https://github.com/yourusername/Spiderfoot-MCP-Agent.git cd Spiderfoot-MCP-Agent

Installation

  1. Install dependencies:

    npm install
  2. Configure environment:

    cp .env.example .env

    Edit the .env file with your SpiderFoot details:

    # Base URL of your SpiderFoot instance SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:5001 # Authentication (if enabled in SpiderFoot) # SPIDERFOOT_USER=username # SPIDERFOOT_PASS=password # Allow starting scans through the API ALLOW_START_SCAN=true

Usage

Running the MCP Server

Development Mode (stdio transport)

npm run dev

Development Mode (HTTP transport)

npm run dev:http

Production Build

# Build the project npm run build # Start the server npm start

Using the Web Client

The package includes a web client that can be used to interact with the SpiderFoot web interface programmatically.

import { SpiderFootWebClient } from './spiderfoot-web-client.js'; // Create a new client instance const client = new SpiderFootWebClient('http://127.0.0.1:5001'); // List all scans const scans = await client.listScans(); console.log('Existing scans:', scans); // Start a new scan try { const result = await client.startScan('example.com', ['type_DNS_TEXT'], 'domain', 'test-scan'); console.log('Scan started:', result); } catch (error) { console.error('Failed to start scan:', error); }

Development

Building the Project

npm run typecheck npm run build

Start from compiled output:

npm start # stdio transport npm run start:http # HTTP transport (dist/index-http.js)

Tools

The server registers the following tools:

  • spiderfoot_ping – GET /ping

  • spiderfoot_modules – GET /modules

  • spiderfoot_event_types – GET /eventtypes

  • spiderfoot_scans – GET /scanlist

  • spiderfoot_scan_info – GET /scanopts?id=<sid>

  • spiderfoot_start_scan – POST /startscan (guarded by ALLOW_START_SCAN)

  • spiderfoot_scan_data – POST /scaneventresults

  • spiderfoot_scan_data_unique – POST /scaneventresultsunique

  • spiderfoot_scan_logs – POST /scanlog

  • spiderfoot_export_json – POST /scanexportjsonmulti

Dangerous endpoints like /query are intentionally omitted.

HTTP vs stdio transports

  • src/index.ts uses the stdio transport (StdioServerTransport). This is commonly used when an IDE/agent launches your process and communicates via stdio.

  • src/index-http.ts uses the Streamable HTTP transport, listening on /:port/mcp (default port 3000). Use this for remote/HTTP-based MCP clients.

Environment variable for HTTP port:

  • MCP_HTTP_PORT (default: 3000)

Docker usage

This repo includes a Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml to run the MCP server in Docker.

Build the image:

docker build -t spiderfoot-mcp:local .

Run with Docker directly:

docker run --rm -p 3000:3000 \ -e SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001 \ -e ALLOW_START_SCAN=true \ -e MCP_HTTP_PORT=3000 \ --name spiderfoot-mcp spiderfoot-mcp:local

Or with Compose:

docker-compose up --build

Compose file (docker-compose.yml) configures:

  • Service: spiderfoot-mcp

  • Port mapping: 3000:3000

  • Default env points to your host’s SpiderFoot at http://host.docker.internal:5001

Notes:

  • On Linux, replace host.docker.internal with your host IP or use the container network to reach your SpiderFoot service.

  • Ensure SpiderFoot is reachable on port 5001 from inside the MCP container.

Environment variables

  • SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL — Base URL of your SpiderFoot web UI/API.

  • ALLOW_START_SCANtrue|false. Enables/disables spiderfoot_start_scan tool. Default true.

  • SPIDERFOOT_USER, SPIDERFOOT_PASS — Optional HTTP Digest credentials if you enable auth in SpiderFoot.

  • MCP_HTTP_PORT — Port for HTTP transport (if using index-http.ts). Default 3000.

Project layout

  • src/index.ts — MCP server (stdio transport) and tool registration.

  • src/index-http.ts — MCP server (HTTP transport) with session management.

  • src/spiderfootClient.ts — Axios-based client for SpiderFoot endpoints.

  • Dockerfile — Multi-stage image: builds TS → runs HTTP server.

  • docker-compose.yml — Runs container with env defaults.

Using with IDEs and MCP-compatible clients

This section provides JSON-based configuration examples for connecting this MCP server from popular IDEs and tools. Two transport modes are supported:

  1. Stdio transport: the IDE launches your local process

  2. HTTP transport: the IDE connects to a running server at http://localhost:5002/mcp (Docker with compose) or http://localhost:3000/mcp when running npm run dev:http locally

You can use both; add two separate entries if your IDE supports it.

Docker-based JSON (stdio inside container)

If you prefer your IDE to launch the MCP server inside Docker (without needing a long-running compose service), use this stdio-in-container configuration. It runs the stdio entrypoint (dist/index.js) and communicates over stdin/stdout.

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-docker-stdio": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "-i", "--rm", "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway", "-e", "SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001", "spiderfoot-mcp:local", "node", "dist/index.js" ], "env": {} } } }

Copy-paste Claude Desktop block (Docker stdio + HTTP):

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-docker-stdio": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "-i", "--rm", "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway", "-e", "SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001", "spiderfoot-mcp:local", "node", "dist/index.js" ] }, "spiderfoot-mcp-http": { "type": "http", "url": "http://localhost:5002/mcp" } } }

Notes:

  • Make sure you have built the image (docker build -t spiderfoot-mcp:local . or docker-compose build).

  • This approach does not expose a port; it uses stdio via Docker (-i).

  • The host SpiderFoot URL is passed via -e SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001.

Common configuration examples

Stdio (local process)

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-stdio": { "type": "stdio", "command": "node", "args": [ "./node_modules/tsx/dist/cli.mjs", "src/index.ts" ], "cwd": "C:/dev-env.local/project-repos/Spiderfoot-MCP-Agent", "env": { "SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:5001", "ALLOW_START_SCAN": "true" } } } }

HTTP (connect to running server)

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-http": { "type": "http", "url": "http://localhost:5002/mcp" } } }

Notes:

  • If you prefer npm start instead of tsx, update command/args accordingly, e.g. command: "npm", args: ["run", "dev"].

  • On Windows, keep forward slashes in cwd or escape backslashes (e.g., C:\\dev-env.local\\project-repos\\Spiderfoot-MCP-Agent).

  • Ensure SpiderFoot is reachable at SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL from the MCP server.

Windsurf

Steps:

  1. Open SettingsMCP (or Tools/Integrations section that manages MCP servers).

  2. Add a new server entry.

  3. Paste one of the JSON examples above into your MCP server configuration, merging with any existing mcpServers entries. Recommended options:

    • Docker stdio: spiderfoot-mcp-docker-stdio (uses command: docker)

    • HTTP: serverUrl to http://localhost:5002/mcp

  4. Save settings.

  5. Start the server if using HTTP mode (Docker Compose or npm run dev:http). For stdio, Windsurf will launch it automatically when needed.

Windsurf – Option 2: HTTP via serverUrl

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-http": { "serverUrl": "http://localhost:5002/mcp" } } }

Windsurf – Option 1: Docker stdio

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-docker-stdio": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "-i", "--rm", "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway", "-e", "SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001", "spiderfoot-mcp:local", "node", "dist/index.js" ] } } }

Notes:

  • Make sure you have built the image (docker build -t spiderfoot-mcp:local . or docker-compose build).

  • This approach does not expose a port; it uses stdio via Docker (-i).

  • The host SpiderFoot URL is passed via -e SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001.

Cursor

Steps:

  1. Open Cursor settings for MCP integrations.

  2. Add a new MCP server.

  3. Use the Docker stdio JSON to launch in a container, or the HTTP example to connect to http://localhost:5002/mcp.

  4. Save and test by listing tools from the MCP panel.

Cursor – Option 1: Docker stdio

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-docker-stdio": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "-i", "--rm", "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway", "-e", "SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001", "spiderfoot-mcp:local", "node", "dist/index.js" ] } } }

Cursor – Option 2: HTTP

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-http": { "type": "http", "url": "http://localhost:5002/mcp" } } }

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop reads a JSON configuration file that can include the mcpServers map shown above.

Typical configuration file locations:

  • Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

  • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Add or merge one of the following under a top-level mcpServers object if your extension reads from it, or under the extension-specific key (e.g., "cline.mcpServers").

Claude Desktop – Option 1: Docker stdio

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-docker-stdio": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "-i", "--rm", "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway", "-e", "SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001", "spiderfoot-mcp:local", "node", "dist/index.js" ] } } }

Claude Desktop – Option 2: HTTP

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-http": { "type": "http", "url": "http://localhost:5002/mcp" } } }

VS Code (Continue)

Configuration is typically stored in VS Code settings.json.

Common locations:

  • Windows: %APPDATA%/Code/User/settings.json

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/settings.json

  • Linux: ~/.config/Code/User/settings.json

Add or merge the following under a top-level mcpServers object if your extension reads from it, or under the extension-specific key (e.g., "continue.mcpServers").

VS Code (Continue) – Option 1: Docker stdio

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-docker-stdio": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "-i", "--rm", "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway", "-e", "SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001", "spiderfoot-mcp:local", "node", "dist/index.js" ] } } }

VS Code (Continue) – Option 2: HTTP

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-http": { "type": "http", "url": "http://localhost:5002/mcp" } } }

Notes:

  • Some VS Code MCP extensions expect a namespaced key (e.g., continue.mcpServers). If so, copy the object assigned to mcpServers above into that namespaced setting.

  • Ensure the working directory (cwd) points at Spiderfoot-MCP-Agent/.

VS Code (Cline)

VS Code (Cline) – Option 1: Docker stdio

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-docker-stdio": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "-i", "--rm", "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway", "-e", "SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001", "spiderfoot-mcp:local", "node", "dist/index.js" ] } } }

VS Code (Cline) – Option 2: HTTP

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-http": { "type": "http", "url": "http://localhost:5002/mcp" } } }

JetBrains (Continue plugin)

Open your JetBrains IDE settings → Continue → MCP (or Tools/Integrations) and add a server using the same JSON entries shown above.

If your IDE stores a JSON configuration file, place the same mcpServers map in that file and restart the IDE. Use stdio or HTTP entries per your preference.

JetBrains (Continue) – Option 1: Docker stdio

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-docker-stdio": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "-i", "--rm", "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway", "-e", "SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001", "spiderfoot-mcp:local", "node", "dist/index.js" ] } } }

JetBrains (Continue) – Option 2: HTTP

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-http": { "type": "http", "url": "http://localhost:5002/mcp" } } }

Zed

Open Zed settings JSON (e.g., ~/.config/zed/settings.json) and add an MCP servers map. For many setups, a root-level mcpServers object works; otherwise, consult Zed’s MCP documentation for the exact key.

Zed – Option 1: Docker stdio

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-docker-stdio": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "-i", "--rm", "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway", "-e", "SPIDERFOOT_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5001", "spiderfoot-mcp:local", "node", "dist/index.js" ] } } }

Zed – Option 2: HTTP

{ "mcpServers": { "spiderfoot-mcp-http": { "type": "http", "url": "http://localhost:5002/mcp" } } }

MCP Inspector (testing)

  • Stdio: run npm run dev and point Inspector to that command.

  • HTTP: run Docker Compose (or npm run dev:http) and connect Inspector to http://localhost:5002/mcp.

Notes

  • Source files are in src/:

    • src/index.ts – MCP server definition and tool registration (stdio).

    • src/index-http.ts – Streamable HTTP transport variant.

    • src/spiderfootClient.ts – HTTP wrapper around SpiderFoot endpoints using axios.

  • The project uses ESM ("type": "module"), TypeScript 5, and zod for input validation.

  • Default behavior allows starting scans; disable by setting ALLOW_START_SCAN=false.

Deploy Server
-
security - not tested
A
license - permissive license
-
quality - not tested

hybrid server

The server is able to function both locally and remotely, depending on the configuration or use case.

Enables interaction with SpiderFoot OSINT reconnaissance tools through MCP, allowing users to manage scans, retrieve modules and event types, access scan data, and export results. Supports both starting new scans and analyzing existing reconnaissance data through natural language.

  1. Features
    1. Requirements
      1. Setup
        1. Prerequisites
        2. Installation
      2. Usage
        1. Running the MCP Server
        2. Using the Web Client
      3. Development
        1. Building the Project
      4. Tools
        1. HTTP vs stdio transports
          1. Docker usage
            1. Environment variables
              1. Project layout
                1. Using with IDEs and MCP-compatible clients
                  1. Docker-based JSON (stdio inside container)
                  2. Common configuration examples
                  3. Windsurf
                  4. Cursor
                  5. Claude Desktop
                  6. VS Code (Continue)
                  7. VS Code (Cline)
                  8. JetBrains (Continue plugin)
                  9. Zed
                  10. MCP Inspector (testing)
                2. Notes

                  MCP directory API

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