Nist MCP Server

Search and audit NIST NVD CVEs by keyword, severity, CWE, CISA KEV status, and CPE.

Remote serverstreamable-http

What is the Nist MCP server?

Search and audit NIST NVD CVEs by keyword, severity, CWE, CISA KEV status, and CPE. The nist mcp server wraps that behind the Model Context Protocol, so an assistant can use it through 7 defined tools rather than through you.

What it actually does

  • Declarative tool, resource, and prompt definitions — single file per primitive, framework handles registration and validation
  • Unified error handling — handlers throw, framework catches, classifies, and formats
  • Pluggable auth: none, jwt, oauth
  • Swappable storage backends: in-memory, filesystem, Supabase, Cloudflare KV/R2/D1
  • Structured logging with optional OpenTelemetry tracing
  • STDIO and Streamable HTTP transports

Adding it to your client

Being a remote server, there is no local install. You register the endpoint with your client, authorise it once, and the tools appear.

Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • nvd_search_cves — Search CVEs by keyword, severity, CWE, date range, or CISA KEV status
  • nvd_get_cve — Fetch one or more CVEs by ID — full CVSS scores, CWE, CPE configs, KEV fields, and references
  • nvd_search_cpes — Search the NVD CPE dictionary by product keyword or partial match string
  • nvd_audit_cpe — Find all CVEs affecting a specific product version by CPE name or virtual match string
  • nvd_get_cve_history — Retrieve the change history for a CVE — score revisions, status transitions, and reference additions
  • Prerequisites — The Prerequisites tool exposed by this server
  • Installation — The Installation tool exposed by this server

Configuration

You will need 3 environment variables: MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL, NVD_API_KEY. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

  • Bun v1.3.0 or higher (or Node.js v24+). - Optional: NVD API key — free, raises rate limit from 5 req/30s to 50 req/30s.

Caveats

  • Your data travels to the provider's service, so the usual questions apply about what you send and what they retain.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the nist mcp server does with a few real requests.

When to reach for it

Among the file and storage access options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. Nist's toolset — nvd_search_cves, nvd_get_cve, nvd_search_cpes and 4 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by cyanheads; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against Nist's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
nvd_search_cvesSearch CVEs by keyword, severity, CWE, date range, or CISA KEV status.
nvd_get_cveFetch one or more CVEs by ID — full CVSS scores, CWE, CPE configs, KEV fields, and references.
nvd_search_cpesSearch the NVD CPE dictionary by product keyword or partial match string.
nvd_audit_cpeFind all CVEs affecting a specific product version by CPE name or virtual match string.
nvd_get_cve_historyRetrieve the change history for a CVE — score revisions, status transitions, and reference additions.
PrerequisitesThe Prerequisites tool exposed by this server.
InstallationThe Installation tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Nist MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nist-nvd-mcp-server": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": ["@cyanheads/nist-nvd-mcp-server@latest"],
      "env": {
        "MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE": "stdio",
        "MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info",
        "NVD_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

  • Bun v1.3.0 or higher (or Node.js v24+). - Optional: NVD API key — free, raises rate limit from 5 req/30s to 50 req/30s.
VariableDescriptionRequired
MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPEConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
MCP_LOG_LEVELConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
NVD_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Nist to nvd search cves.
  • Use Nist to nvd get cve.
  • Use Nist to nvd search cpes.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Nist to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 7 tools (nvd_search_cves, nvd_get_cve, nvd_search_cpes, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Nist directly.