AI Defense Stack

Agent & MCP security

Cisco MCP Scanner: open-source MCP server scanner

Cisco MCP Scanner is an open-source MCP server scanner from Cisco. It is released under the Apache-2.0 license and is offered as: CLI, Library, API.

  • Last reviewed
Visit Cisco MCP Scanner (opens in a new tab) Documentation (opens in a new tab) Source code (opens in a new tab)
Open sourceApache-2.0 Layer 7: Agent and tool access

Best for

Security and platform teams that want to vet MCP servers in CI or before approval, with rules they can extend and a CLI, SDK or REST API

Consider instead if

  • You also want to scan agent skills (SKILL.md files), not only MCP servers and their client configs. See MCP-Scan.

What Cisco MCP Scanner does

Cisco MCP Scanner is an open-source Python tool that scans Model Context Protocol servers for malicious or risky tools before you connect an agent to them. It can scan remote servers, stdio servers and client config files, and it checks tools, prompts, resources and server instructions. Its engines include YARA rules, an LLM-based judge, behavioral checks of server source code and, optionally, the Cisco AI Defense inspect API, which needs a Cisco AI Defense key. You run it as a command-line tool, a Python SDK or a REST API server. A static mode works offline on saved JSON, which suits CI pipelines and air-gapped setups. The code is Apache-2.0.

This summary is our own wording of the sourced facts on this page.

Key facts

Each value links to the page that states it, with the date we checked it.

Vendor
Cisco Source, checked October 21, 2026: blogs.cisco.com (opens in a new tab)
Status
Active Source, checked October 21, 2026: api.github.com (opens in a new tab)
Open source
Yes: Apache-2.0 Source, checked October 21, 2026: github.com (opens in a new tab)
Repository
github.com Source, checked October 21, 2026: github.com (opens in a new tab)
GitHub stars
1,096 as of October 21, 2026 Source, checked October 21, 2026: api.github.com (opens in a new tab)
Latest push
October 21, 2026 Source, checked October 21, 2026: api.github.com (opens in a new tab)
Latest release
October 20, 2026 Source, checked October 21, 2026: api.github.com (opens in a new tab)
Deployment
CLI, Library, API Source, checked October 21, 2026: github.com (opens in a new tab)
Pricing model
Free Source, checked October 21, 2026: github.com (opens in a new tab)
Website
github.com Source, checked October 21, 2026: github.com (opens in a new tab)
Documentation
github.com Source, checked October 21, 2026: github.com (opens in a new tab)
API reference
github.com Source, checked October 21, 2026: github.com (opens in a new tab)
Quickstart
github.com Source, checked October 21, 2026: github.com (opens in a new tab)
Security page
github.com Source, checked October 21, 2026: github.com (opens in a new tab)
Attestations or disclosure
Reports go through GitHub private reporting, with a Cisco open source security email as fallback Source, checked October 21, 2026: github.com (opens in a new tab)

Capabilities

As documented by the vendor or project. The tag is our label from a controlled vocabulary.

Integrations

Where Cisco MCP Scanner fits in our AI security layers

Our analysis

Our editorial model, not a standard. The primary layer follows the category, except for tools whose main documented job is detection and response; other layers rest on a capability the sources document. How the model works.

AI security layers that Cisco MCP Scanner covers, with the role, how each applies and what it rests on
LayerRoleHow it appliesBased on
L7 Agent access Agent and tool access Primary Limit which tools, MCP servers, data and credentials an agent can use, and require approval for risky actions. Follows its category, Agent & MCP security
L3 Supply chain Model and supply chain Also covers Documents scanning of MCP tools, prompts and resources before a client connects. Scans MCP server tools, prompts, resources and server instructions, on remote or stdio servers and from client config files; The static subcommand scans pre-generated MCP JSON files offline, in what the README calls CI/CD mode; Static scanning docs list the offline mode as CI/CD ready with air-gapped support, for tools, prompts and resources files; Optional analyzers cover server source code behavior, PyPI and npm packages, vulnerable dependencies and VirusTotal hash lookups

OWASP LLM Top 10 mapping

Our analysis

The risk list is OWASP's (Top 10 for LLM Applications, 2025). The mapping is our analysis, and each row rests on a capability the sources document.

OWASP LLM risks mapped to Cisco MCP Scanner, with the capabilities each mapping rests on
RiskHow it appliesBased on
LLM01 Prompt Injection Looks for prompt injection and tool poisoning in MCP tool, prompt and resource definitions. Threat taxonomy lists tool poisoning and tool shadowing among the threats its analyzers detect; Threat taxonomy lists prompt injection among the threats its analyzers detect
LLM03 Supply Chain Can scan the PyPI and npm packages and dependencies behind an MCP server. Scans MCP server tools, prompts, resources and server instructions, on remote or stdio servers and from client config files; The static subcommand scans pre-generated MCP JSON files offline, in what the README calls CI/CD mode; Static scanning docs list the offline mode as CI/CD ready with air-gapped support, for tools, prompts and resources files; Optional analyzers cover server source code behavior, PyPI and npm packages, vulnerable dependencies and VirusTotal hash lookups

Not mapped in our analysis: LLM02, LLM05, LLM06, LLM07. These are risks we expect tools in this category to cover; the sources we checked do not document a matching capability.

Alternatives and related tools

More in Agent & MCP security, ranked within the category by Coverage Score.

Cisco DefenseClaw

Cisco

Open sourceApache-2.0
  • CLI
  • Self-hosted

Scans skills and MCP servers, inspects agent tool calls and keeps an audit trail around AI coding agents.

Best for: Security teams that want scanning, guardrails and an audit trail around the coding agents developers already run, starting in observe mode before anything is blocked

Coverage Score 76 out of 100
  • LLM01 Prompt Injection
  • LLM02 Sensitive Information Disclosure
  • LLM06 Excessive Agency

Reviewed

Docker MCP Gateway

Docker

Open sourceMIT
  • CLI
  • Self-hosted

Proxies AI clients to MCP servers it runs as isolated Docker containers, with tool filters and call logs.

Best for: Developers and platform teams that already use Docker and want MCP servers to run in containers behind one gateway with per-server tool selection

Coverage Score 72 out of 100
  • LLM02 Sensitive Information Disclosure
  • LLM06 Excessive Agency

Reviewed

agentgateway

agentgateway (a Series of LF Projects, LLC)

Open sourceApache-2.0
  • CLI
  • Self-hosted
  • Cloud-native

Open-source proxy that applies auth, CEL policy and guardrails to LLM, MCP and agent-to-agent traffic.

Best for: Platform teams that want one open-source gateway in front of MCP servers and LLM providers, with token validation, CEL rules per MCP method and pluggable guardrails

Coverage Score 69 out of 100
  • LLM02 Sensitive Information Disclosure
  • LLM06 Excessive Agency

Reviewed

Cisco MCP Scanner FAQ

Is Cisco MCP Scanner free?

The code is Apache-2.0 and free to run. Some analyzers need keys: the API analyzer needs a Cisco AI Defense key, and the LLM analyzer needs an LLM provider key. YARA and readiness checks need none.

Can it run in CI or offline?

Yes. The README lists a static subcommand that scans pre-generated MCP JSON files offline, in CI/CD mode, without contacting a live server. The static scanning docs label it CI/CD ready with air-gapped support.

How do you run it?

As a command-line tool installed with uv, as a Python SDK, or as a REST API server started with mcp-scanner-api.

Key facts you can cite

We have no commercial relationship with Cisco.

Sources & last reviewed

Last reviewed . We compile from the vendors' own public pages and repositories and we do not run the products. Source links open in a new tab. Found a mistake? Report a correction.