IDA Pro MCP for Claude Code: Setup & Config

What you can do with IDA Pro in Claude Code

Choose it for IDA-native binary analysis with explicit database sessions and persistent headless workers.

• Inspect binary functions through decompilation, disassembly, and cross-references.
• Read memory structures or use opt-in debugger operations.

Before you start: IDA Pro in Claude Code

• Python 3.11 or newer
• IDA Pro 8.3 or newer; version 9 recommended
• Installed idalib for headless operation
• uv for the documented launch command
• An MCP-compatible client

The selected command uses the recommended headless direction. Install the package or Claude Code plugin as documented and activate idalib as required. IDA Free is unsupported. Database tools require explicit session identifiers.

IDA Pro Claude Code configuration

1. Choose Claude Code configuration scope

   For IDA Pro MCP, open Project scope: .mcp.json at the repository root. Project JSON: merge into mcpServers; user scope: use the CLI.

2. Add IDA Pro MCP to Claude Code

   Use the ida-pro-mcp entry below in mcpServers. Keep IDA Pro MCP's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Code entries.

3. Check IDA Pro MCP in Claude Code

   IDA Pro MCP: Inspect claude mcp list and /mcp status.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ida-pro-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "idalib-mcp",
        "--stdio"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

claude mcp add-json --scope project 'ida-pro-mcp' '{"type":"stdio","command":"uv","args":["run","idalib-mcp","--stdio"],"env":{}}'

IDA Pro tools available to Claude Code

IDA Pro's stored tool list documents 35 tools; compare it with Claude Code's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

idb_open

For IDA Pro's idb_open, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

idb_list

For IDA Pro's idb_list, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

idb_save

For IDA Pro's idb_save, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Save a session’s analysis database to disk.

server_health

For IDA Pro's server_health, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Inspect health for an explicitly selected database.

lookup_funcs

For IDA Pro's lookup_funcs, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Resolve functions by name or address.

int_convert

For IDA Pro's int_convert, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Convert numeric values among decimal, hexadecimal, bytes, ASCII, and binary formats.

list_funcs

For IDA Pro's list_funcs, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

List functions with filtering and pagination.

list_globals

For IDA Pro's list_globals, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Browse global variables with pagination and filters.

imports

For IDA Pro's imports, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

List imported symbols and their modules.

decompile

For IDA Pro's decompile, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Produce decompiler output for a function address.

disasm

For IDA Pro's disasm, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Inspect a function’s assembly and related details.

xrefs_to

For IDA Pro's xrefs_to, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

xrefs_to_field

For IDA Pro's xrefs_to_field, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

callees

For IDA Pro's callees, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

add_bookmark

For IDA Pro's add_bookmark, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

set_comments

For IDA Pro's set_comments, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

patch_asm

For IDA Pro's patch_asm, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

declare_type

For IDA Pro's declare_type, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

define_func

For IDA Pro's define_func, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Define functions at selected addresses, optionally with explicit endpoints.

define_code

For IDA Pro's define_code, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

undefine

For IDA Pro's undefine, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

get_bytes

For IDA Pro's get_bytes, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

get_int

For IDA Pro's get_int, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

get_string

For IDA Pro's get_string, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

get_global_value

For IDA Pro's get_global_value, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

stack_frame

For IDA Pro's stack_frame, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

declare_stack

For IDA Pro's declare_stack, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

delete_stack

For IDA Pro's delete_stack, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Remove named stack variables.

read_struct

For IDA Pro's read_struct, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Read field values for a structure at an address.

search_structs

For IDA Pro's search_structs, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Find structures using a name filter.

dbg_start

For IDA Pro's dbg_start, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Start a debugging process when the debugger extension is enabled.

dbg_exit

For IDA Pro's dbg_exit, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

End a debugging process.

dbg_continue

For IDA Pro's dbg_continue, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Resume execution in the debugger.

dbg_run_to

For IDA Pro's dbg_run_to, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Continue debugging until a selected address.

dbg_step_into

For IDA Pro's dbg_step_into, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Advance into the next instruction during debugging.

IDA Pro: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting IDA Pro in Claude Code

• If IDA Pro MCP fails to start, check uv, the working directory, and Claude Code's selected scope; inspect claude mcp list and /mcp.
• IDA Pro MCP uses stdio here: Claude Code must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: Requires IDA Pro; IDA Free is unsupported.
• Known limitation: The GUI plugin path is no longer recommended.
• Known limitation: The README warns that hallucinations and obfuscation can reduce model accuracy.
• General Claude Code troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-code guide.

Frequently asked questions