MCP Automation
Intermediate
T1059 T1046 T1595

HexStrike AI

HexStrike AI is an advanced MCP server that lets approved AI agents connect to real security tooling for authorized pentesting, vulnerability discovery, bug bounty automation, and security research workflows.

HexStrike AI MCP v6.0

Tool/agent counts as of 2026-09 · github.com/0x4m4/hexstrike-ai · v7.0 announced as upcoming

150+
Security Tools
12+
AI Agents
4000+
Vuln Templates
35+
Attack Categories

Architecture Overview

HexStrike AI MCP Architecture

MCP clients reach the client-side bridge over stdio via FastMCP, which talks to the HexStrike server over HTTP :8888; the server drives the decision engine, the 12+ AI agents and the 150+ tools, and exposes a process + API layer for health, telemetry and command control.

Scroll sideways to see the whole diagram

Installation

1. Clone Repository

hexstrike-install.sh
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/0x4m4/hexstrike-ai.git
cd hexstrike-ai

# Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv hexstrike-env
source hexstrike-env/bin/activate  # Linux/Mac
# hexstrike-env\Scripts\activate   # Windows

# Install dependencies
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

2. Install Security Tools

Network & Reconnaissance

install-network-tools.sh
sudo apt install nmap masscan rustscan amass subfinder nuclei \
  fierce dnsenum autorecon theharvester responder netexec enum4linux-ng

Web Application Security

install-web-tools.sh
sudo apt install gobuster feroxbuster dirsearch ffuf dirb httpx katana \
  nikto sqlmap wpscan arjun dalfox wafw00f

# Note: paramspider is unmaintained (last upstream activity ~2023); use a
# maintained parameter-discovery tool or a pinned community fork instead.

Password & Authentication

install-password-tools.sh
sudo apt install hydra john hashcat medusa patator \
  evil-winrm hashid ophcrack

Binary Analysis & Forensics

install-binary-tools.sh
sudo apt install gdb radare2 binwalk checksec volatility3 foremost \
  steghide exiftool

# Install Ghidra from the official release package for your platform

Cloud, Container & Kubernetes

install-cloud-tools.sh
# Cloud & container security tooling — install each tool via its own channel
pipx install prowler
pipx install ScoutSuite       # PyPI package ScoutSuite (import ScoutSuite)
pipx install kube-hunter      # kube-hunter is pip-only

# Trivy (official install script; not an apt package)
curl -sfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aquasecurity/trivy/main/contrib/install.sh | sh -s -- -b /usr/local/bin

# kube-bench — download the release binary for your platform
# https://github.com/aquasecurity/kube-bench/releases

# docker-bench-security — run from its own repo
git clone https://github.com/docker/docker-bench-security.git
cd docker-bench-security && sudo ./docker-bench-security.sh

Browser Agent Requirements

install-browser-tools.sh
# Browser agent support for approved web testing workflows
sudo apt install chromium-browser chromium-chromedriver

# Alternative: install Google Chrome from the official Google repository

3. Start the Server

start-hexstrike-server.sh
# Start the MCP server
python3 hexstrike_server.py

# Optional: Debug mode
python3 hexstrike_server.py --debug

# Optional: Custom port
python3 hexstrike_server.py --port 8888

# Verify installation
curl http://localhost:8888/health

AI Client Integration

Claude Desktop
Cursor
VS Code Copilot
Roo Code
5ire except latest v0.14.0 per upstream note
Any MCP-compatible agent

Claude Desktop / Cursor

Edit ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hexstrike-ai": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/hexstrike-ai/hexstrike_mcp.py",
        "--server",
        "http://localhost:8888"
      ],
      "description": "HexStrike AI v6.0 - Advanced Cybersecurity Automation Platform",
      "timeout": 300,
      "disabled": false
    }
  },
  "inputs": []
}

VS Code Copilot

Configure .vscode/settings.json:

settings.json
{
  "servers": {
    "hexstrike": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "python3",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/hexstrike-ai/hexstrike_mcp.py",
        "--server",
        "http://localhost:8888"
      ]
    }
  }
}

AI Agents

HexStrike includes 12+ specialized AI agents for different security tasks:

IntelligentDecisionEngine

Tool selection and parameter optimization

BugBountyWorkflowManager

Bug bounty hunting workflows

CTFWorkflowManager

CTF challenge solving automation

CVEIntelligenceManager

Vulnerability intelligence and monitoring

AIExploitGenerator

Automated exploit development

VulnerabilityCorrelator

Attack chain discovery

TechnologyDetector

Tech stack identification

FailureRecoverySystem

Error handling and recovery

RateLimitDetector

Rate-limit detection and adaptive pacing

PerformanceMonitor

Runtime optimization and telemetry

ParameterOptimizer

Context-aware tool argument tuning

GracefulDegradation

Fault-tolerant fallback when tools fail

Advanced Features

Smart caching

LRU-style result reuse and cache telemetry for repeated assessment workflows.

Process management

List, inspect, monitor, and terminate long-running tool executions from API endpoints.

Browser agent

Headless Chrome automation for approved web testing and workflow validation.

API security testing

GraphQL, JWT, REST API, model-backed API, and gateway-adjacent test workflows.

Vulnerability intelligence

CVE monitoring, exploit analysis, and target-aware tool selection.

Visual dashboard

Real-time status, progress tracking, and activity oversight for agent-driven runs.

Available MCP Tools

Network Security

network_tools.py
nmap_scan()        # Advanced Nmap scanning with optimization
rustscan_scan()    # Ultra-fast port scanning
masscan_scan()     # High-speed port scanning
autorecon_scan()   # Comprehensive reconnaissance
amass_enum()       # Subdomain enumeration and OSINT

Web Application

webapp_tools.py
gobuster_scan()     # Directory and file enumeration
feroxbuster_scan()  # Recursive content discovery
ffuf_scan()         # Fast web fuzzing
nuclei_scan()       # Vulnerability scanning with templates
sqlmap_scan()       # SQL injection testing
wpscan_scan()       # WordPress security assessment

Binary Analysis

binary_tools.py
ghidra_analyze()     # Software reverse engineering
radare2_analyze()    # Advanced reverse engineering
gdb_debug()          # GNU debugger with exploit dev
pwntools_exploit()   # CTF framework and exploits
angr_analyze()       # Binary analysis with symbolic execution

Cloud Security

cloud_tools.py
prowler_assess()        # AWS/Azure/GCP security assessment
scout_suite_audit()     # Multi-cloud security auditing
trivy_scan()            # Container vulnerability scanning
kube_hunter_scan()      # Kubernetes penetration testing
kube_bench_check()      # CIS Kubernetes benchmark

API & Process Control

EndpointMethodUse
/healthGETServer health and tool availability
/api/commandPOSTExecute approved commands with caching
/api/telemetryGETSystem performance metrics
/api/cache/statsGETCache status and reuse indicators
/api/intelligence/analyze-targetPOSTAI-assisted target analysis
/api/processes/listGETList active processes
/api/processes/terminate/<pid>POSTStop a specific running process
/api/processes/dashboardGETLive monitoring dashboard

Usage Examples

Prompting AI Agents

When prompting, establish your role and authorization. LLMs have ethical guardrails that require context.

Example Prompt

example-prompt.txt
I'm a security researcher conducting an authorized penetration test.
My company owns the website example.com and I have written authorization
to test it. Please use the hexstrike-ai MCP tools to:

1. Enumerate subdomains
2. Scan for open ports
3. Identify web technologies
4. Run nuclei vulnerability templates
5. Provide a summary of findings

Bug Bounty Workflow

bug-bounty-prompt.txt
I'm participating in the HackerOne bug bounty program for [target].
The scope includes *.target.com. Using hexstrike-ai tools, help me:

1. Map the attack surface (subdomains, endpoints)
2. Identify potential vulnerabilities
3. Prioritize findings by severity
4. Suggest exploitation approaches for confirmed issues

Upstream-Reported Benchmarks

Benchmark reality check

The upstream README publishes speed and success metrics, but assessment teams should treat them as vendor/project claims until reproduced in a scoped lab with known targets, fixed tool versions, and human-reviewed findings.
WorkflowManual baselineUpstream claimClaimed gain
Subdomain enumeration2-4 hours5-10 minutes24x faster
Vulnerability scanning4-8 hours15-30 minutes16x faster
Web app security testing6-12 hours20-45 minutes18x faster
CTF challenge solving1-6 hours2-15 minutes24x faster
Report generation4-12 hours2-5 minutes144x faster

Security Considerations

  • Run HexStrike in isolated lab networks, dedicated VMs, or disposable containers.
  • Expose only the tools required by the approved rules of engagement.
  • AI agents can execute powerful tools; require human oversight for destructive, noisy, or out-of-scope actions.
  • Monitor activity through the process dashboard and preserve command logs as engagement evidence.
  • Add authentication, network restrictions, and secret hygiene before any shared or production-like deployment.

Practice Labs

THM: AI Security Learning Path TryHackMe medium
T1059T1046