Cyberchef MCP

This project provides a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server interface for CyberChef, the "Cyber Swiss Army Knife" created by GCHQ. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

People who work with compression, cyberchef and cybersecurity and want it reachable from Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in JavaScript.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-09-13 · ★ 19 · #11 OF 81 MAINTAINED DATA & ANALYTICS · VERIFIED 2026-09-18

GPL-3.0 · JavaScript servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Cyberchef MCP

before you install - you'll need

Set LOG_LEVEL, CYBERCHEF_MAX_RETRIES, CYBERCHEF_INITIAL_BACKOFF, CYBERCHEF_MAX_BACKOFF, CYBERCHEF_BACKOFF_MULTIPLIER, CYBERCHEF_STREAM_CHUNK_SIZE, CYBERCHEF_STREAM_PROGRESS_INTERVAL, CYBERCHEF_RECIPE_STORAGE, CYBERCHEF_RECIPE_MAX_COUNT, CYBERCHEF_RECIPE_MAX_OPERATIONS, CYBERCHEF_RECIPE_MAX_DEPTH, CYBERCHEF_BATCH_MAX_SIZE before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add doublegate-cyberchef-mcp -- npx -y cyberchef-mcp

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "doublegate-cyberchef-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "cyberchef-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions · container (OCI image) - can be sandboxed away from your filesystem

license GPL-3.0 - declared in the repository

npm package cyberchef-mcp - unscoped; check the name against the project README before installing

registry namespace io.github.doublegate is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Cyberchef MCP can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Latest releases

v4.2.0 · 2026-09-12

v4.2.0 - One place to add a meta-tool, for the eight that are uniform · 2026-09-12 · Upstream base: CyberChef v11.4.0 · What changed, in one paragraph · A meta-tool that declares a run handler in the META_TOOLS literal…

v4.1.0 · 2026-09-11

v4.1.0 - Registry tools get a navigation path · Released 2026-09-11. The default tool surface falls from 41 tools / 44,968 bytes to · 23 / 15,620 - 66% smaller - and nothing becomes unreachable. · What changed, in one…

v4.0.0 · 2026-09-11

v4.0.0 - retiring the past, and the trigger the plan never had · This is the first major since v3.0.0, and it exists for a reason the plan did not model. · Why a major, when the trigger watch says none is due · npm run…

04 · Who maintains Cyberchef MCP

cyberchef-mcp is maintained by doublegate. It's the only MCP server we track from this author; the repo dates to Nov 2025.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/doublegate/cyberchef-mcp
category: data & analytics - ranked #11 of 81 actively-maintained data & analytics servers as of 2026-09-18.
release cadence: 10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-09-12)
registry: io.github.doublegate/cyberchef-mcp (active, first published 2026-09-04 · 10 versions)
packages: oci:ghcr.io/doublegate/cyberchef-mcp_v4:4.2.0 · npm:cyberchef-mcp

06 · Cyberchef MCP FAQ

What is Cyberchef MCP?

This project provides a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server interface for CyberChef, the "Cyber Swiss Army Knife" created by GCHQ. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

Is Cyberchef MCP still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-09-18, its last commit was 2026-09-13 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install Cyberchef MCP?

Run `npx -y cyberchef-mcp`. The README documents 12 environment variables (LOG_LEVEL, CYBERCHEF_MAX_RETRIES, CYBERCHEF_INITIAL_BACKOFF…) to set first. Set LOG_LEVEL, CYBERCHEF_MAX_RETRIES, CYBERCHEF_INITIAL_BACKOFF, CYBERCHEF_MAX_BACKOFF, CYBERCHEF_BACKOFF_MULTIPLIER, CYBERCHEF_STREAM_CHUNK_SIZE, CYBERCHEF_STREAM_PROGRESS_INTERVAL, CYBERCHEF_RECIPE_STORAGE, CYBERCHEF_RECIPE_MAX_COUNT, CYBERCHEF_RECIPE_MAX_OPERATIONS, CYBERCHEF_RECIPE_MAX_DEPTH, CYBERCHEF_BATCH_MAX_SIZE before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Cyberchef MCP run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Cyberchef MCP

Alternatives to Cyberchef MCP

Maintained data & analytics servers if Cyberchef MCP isn't the fit.

Pairs well with

Servers that cover what Cyberchef MCP doesn't - only shown when the pairing reason fits the companion.

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