home / mcp / volatility mcp server

Volatility MCP Server

Exposes Volatility 3 memory forensics plugins via MCP for Claude and MCP clients.

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bornpresident-volatility-mcp-server": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/volatility_mcp_server.py"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PYTHONPATH": "/path/to/volatility3"
      }
    }
  }
}

You run a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that bridges Volatility 3 memory forensics with Claude and other MCP-compatible LLMs. It exposes Volatility plugins as MCP tools, enabling natural-language guided memory forensics analysis and automated workflows that speed up investigations.

How to use

You interact with the server through an MCP client. After configuring the client, you can ask Claude or another MCP-enabled assistant to perform Volatility-based analyses on memory dumps using natural language. Typical workflows include triage, process inspection, network forensics, malware hunting, and DLL/file object analysis. Use straightforward questions like: “List processes in memory_dump.vmem,” “Show network connections in memory_dump.vmem,” or “Run malfind on memory_dump.vmem.” The server translates these requests into Volatility plugins and returns structured results that you can review and act on.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installation:

Install Python 3.10 or higher and ensure it is available on your system path.

Install the MCP client SDK and dependencies.

Run the following steps to set up the Volatility MCP Server locally.

Clone the project repository.

Install required Python packages.

Configure the server script path and environment variables for your Volatility 3 installation.

Additional sections

Configuration and runtime details are provided here so you can start and operate the server with your MCP client.

Security and permissions: run the MCP server with appropriate user permissions to access memory dumps and run Volatility plugins. If needed, run the MCP client software with elevated privileges for access to restricted memory artifacts.

Troubleshooting general issues: verify that Python paths and the Volatility 3 installation are correct, ensure the MCP client can reach the local server, and review any error logs produced by the MCP client or the server script.

Notes: this server exposes a set of Volatility plugins as MCP tools and supports a workflow that starts with data discovery, followed by targeted analysis and malware hunting. You can extend it with additional plugins or custom workflows.

Available tools

list_available_plugins

Shows all Volatility plugins you can use through MCP

get_image_info

Provides information about a memory dump file

run_pstree

Shows the process hierarchy in the memory image

run_pslist

Lists processes from the process list in memory

run_psscan

Scans for processes including those that might be hidden

run_netscan

Shows network connections found in the memory image

run_malfind

Detects potential code injection and other malware artifacts

run_cmdline

Shows command line arguments for processes

run_dlllist

Lists loaded DLLs for processes

run_handles

Shows file handles and other system handles

run_filescan

Scans for file objects present in memory

run_memmap

Shows the memory map for a specific process

run_custom_plugin

Run any Volatility plugin with custom arguments

list_memory_dumps

Find memory dumps in a directory