SSH MCP Server

SSH MCP Server is a local Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes SSH control for Linux and Windows systems, enabling LLMs and other MCP clients to execute shell commands securely via SSH.

Contents

• Quick Start
• Features
• Installation
• Client Setup
• Testing
• Disclaimer
• Support

Quick Start

• Install SSH MCP Server
• Configure SSH MCP Server
• Set up your MCP Client (e.g. Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc)
• Execute remote shell commands on your Linux or Windows server via natural language

Features

• MCP-compliant server exposing SSH capabilities
• Execute shell commands on remote Linux and Windows systems
• Secure authentication via password or SSH key
• Built with TypeScript and the official MCP SDK
• Configurable timeout protection with automatic process abortion
• Graceful timeout handling - attempts to kill hanging processes before closing connections

Tools

• exec: Execute a shell command on the remote server
  • Parameters:
    • command (required): Shell command to execute on the remote SSH server
  • Timeout Configuration:
    • Timeout is configured via command line argument --timeout (in milliseconds)
    • Default timeout: 60000ms (1 minute)
    • When a command times out, the server automatically attempts to abort the running process before closing the connection

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/tufantunc/ssh-mcp.git
   cd ssh-mcp

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

Client Setup

You can configure Claude Desktop to use this MCP Server.

Required Parameters:

• host: Hostname or IP of the Linux or Windows server
• user: SSH username

Optional Parameters:

• port: SSH port (default: 22)
• password: SSH password (or use key for key-based auth)
• key: Path to private SSH key
• timeout: Command execution timeout in milliseconds (default: 60000ms = 1 minute)

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "ssh-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "ssh-mcp",
                "-y",
                "--",
                "--host=1.2.3.4",
                "--port=22",
                "--user=root",
                "--password=pass",
                "--key=path/to/key",
                "--timeout=30000"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Testing

You can use the MCP Inspector for visual debugging of this MCP Server.

npm run inspect

Disclaimer

SSH MCP Server is provided under the MIT License. Use at your own risk. This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by any SSH or MCP provider.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guidelines for more information.

Code of Conduct

This project follows a Code of Conduct to ensure a welcoming environment for everyone.

Support

If you find SSH MCP Server helpful, consider starring the repository or contributing! Pull requests and feedback are welcome.