ZAP-MCP Server

ZAP‑MCP is a Model Context Protocol server that bridges the powerful web‑application security scanner OWASP ZAP with modern AI assistants such as Claude. By exposing ZAP’s scan orchestration, alert collection and reporting APIs through a standardized MCP interface, the server enables an AI model to act as a security‑testing assistant that can launch scans, interpret results and recommend mitigations—all within the conversational flow of an AI application. This eliminates the need for developers to manually invoke ZAP commands or parse XML/JSON reports, allowing security testing to become a first‑class feature of the AI workflow.

The server offers a suite of high‑level tools that map directly to common security testing tasks. An AI can invoke to begin a new assessment against any target URL, then poll for progress updates. Once the scan completes, retrieves all findings and produces a concise overview. These capabilities are delivered over WebSocket, ensuring that the AI client receives real‑time notifications and can react immediately to new alerts or scan failures. The integration also supports configurable thresholds, concurrent scan limits and custom policies, giving developers fine‑grained control over the testing process.

For developers building AI‑powered security solutions, ZAP‑MCP provides several tangible advantages. First, it removes the overhead of learning and scripting against ZAP’s extensive REST API; instead, a simple MCP call performs the same action. Second, the real‑time monitoring model allows an AI assistant to surface critical vulnerabilities as they are discovered, enabling rapid triage and remediation. Third, the server’s compatibility with any MCP‑compliant client means it can be paired not only with Claude but also with other assistants, making it a versatile component in automated DevSecOps pipelines. Finally, by exposing scan results directly to the AI, developers can generate natural‑language security reports, threat assessments and remediation guidance that are immediately consumable by non‑technical stakeholders.

Typical use cases include automated penetration testing in continuous integration environments, on‑demand security reviews triggered by user queries in a chat interface, and educational tools that let students experiment with web‑app security while receiving AI‑driven explanations. In each scenario, ZAP‑MCP acts as the glue that translates human intent into concrete scanning actions and turns raw security data into actionable insights—all within a single, conversational experience.