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
- 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 serverdescription(optional): Optional description of what this command will do (appended as a comment)
- Timeout Configuration:
- Parameters:
-
sudo-exec: Execute a shell command with sudo elevation- Parameters:
command(required): Shell command to execute as root using sudodescription(optional): Optional description of what this command will do (appended as a comment)
- Notes:
- Requires
--sudoPasswordto be set for password-protected sudo - Can be disabled by passing the
--disableSudoflag at startup if sudo access is not needed or not available - For persistent root access, consider using
--suPasswordinstead which establishes a root shell - Tool will not be available at all if server is started with
--disableSudo
- Requires
- 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
- Timeout is configured via command line argument
- Max Command Length Configuration:
- Max command characters are configured via
--maxChars - Default:
1000 - No-limit mode: set
--maxChars=noneor any<= 0value (e.g.--maxChars=0)
- Max command characters are configured via
- Parameters:
Installation
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/tufantunc/ssh-mcp.git cd ssh-mcp - Install dependencies:
npm install
Client Setup
You can configure your IDE or LLM like Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Desktop to use this MCP Server.
Required Parameters:
host: Hostname or IP of the Linux or Windows serveruser: SSH username
Optional Parameters:
port: SSH port (default: 22)password: SSH password (or usekeyfor key-based auth)key: Path to private SSH keysudoPassword: Password for sudo elevation (when executing commands with sudo)suPassword: Password for su elevation (when you need a persistent root shell)timeout: Command execution timeout in milliseconds (default: 60000ms = 1 minute)maxChars: Maximum allowed characters for thecommandinput (default: 1000). Usenoneor0to disable the limit.disableSudo: Flag to disable thesudo-exectool completely. Useful when sudo access is not needed or not available.
{
"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",
"--maxChars=none"
]
}
}
}
Claude Code
You can add this MCP server to Claude Code using the claude mcp add command. This is the recommended method for Claude Code.
Basic Installation:
claude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-mcp -- npx -y ssh-mcp -- --host=YOUR_HOST --user=YOUR_USER --password=YOUR_PASSWORD
Installation Examples:
With Password Authentication:
claude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-mcp -- npx -y ssh-mcp -- --host=192.168.1.100 --port=22 --user=admin --password=your_password
With SSH Key Authentication:
claude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-mcp -- npx -y ssh-mcp -- --host=example.com --user=root --key=/path/to/private/key
With Custom Timeout and No Character Limit:
claude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-mcp -- npx -y ssh-mcp -- --host=192.168.1.100 --user=admin --password=your_password --timeout=120000 --maxChars=none
With Sudo and Su Support:
claude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-mcp -- npx -y ssh-mcp -- --host=192.168.1.100 --user=admin --password=your_password --sudoPassword=sudo_pass --suPassword=root_pass
Installation Scopes:
You can specify the scope when adding the server:
-
Local scope (default): For personal use in the current project
claude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-mcp --scope local -- npx -y ssh-mcp -- --host=YOUR_HOST --user=YOUR_USER --password=YOUR_PASSWORD -
Project scope: Share with your team via
.mcp.jsonfileclaude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-mcp --scope project -- npx -y ssh-mcp -- --host=YOUR_HOST --user=YOUR_USER --password=YOUR_PASSWORD -
User scope: Available across all your projects
claude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-mcp --scope user -- npx -y ssh-mcp -- --host=YOUR_HOST --user=YOUR_USER --password=YOUR_PASSWORD
Verify Installation:
After adding the server, restart Claude Code and ask Cascade to execute a command:
"Can you run 'ls -la' on the remote server?"
For more information about MCP in Claude Code, see the official documentation.
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.