Censys MCP Server for Cline 9 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
Cline is an autonomous AI coding agent inside VS Code that plans, executes, and iterates on tasks. Wire Censys through Vinkius and Cline gains direct access to every tool. from data retrieval to workflow automation. without leaving the terminal.
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Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.
Vinkius Desktop App
The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install Censys and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.
{
"mcpServers": {
"censys": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
}
}
}
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
About Censys MCP Server
Connect to Censys and explore the world's largest internet scanning platform through natural conversation.
Cline operates autonomously inside VS Code. it reads your codebase, plans a strategy, and executes multi-step tasks including Censys tool calls without waiting for prompts between steps. Connect 9 tools through Vinkius and Cline can fetch data, generate code, and commit changes in a single autonomous run.
What you can do
- Host Search — Search internet-facing hosts by service, port, OS, location and more
- Host Details — Get comprehensive info on any IP including all services and certificates
- Host History — View how a host's services and ports have changed over time
- Certificate Search — Find SSL/TLS certificates by issuer, subject, validity and more
- Certificate Details — Get full parsed certificate data by fingerprint
- Certificate Hosts — Find all hosts using a specific certificate
- Aggregation — Analyze distributions of services, countries and ASNs
- Host Diff — Compare two hosts to identify infrastructure differences
The Censys MCP Server exposes 9 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Cline in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
How to Connect Censys to Cline via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the Censys MCP Server with Cline.
Open Cline MCP Settings
Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar panel
Add remote server
Click "Add MCP Server" and paste the configuration above
Enable the server
Toggle the server switch to ON
Start using Censys
Ask Cline: "Using Censys, help me...". 9 tools available
Why Use Cline with the Censys MCP Server
Cline provides unique advantages when paired with Censys through the Model Context Protocol.
Cline operates autonomously. it reads your codebase, plans a strategy, and executes multi-step tasks including MCP tool calls without step-by-step prompts
Runs inside VS Code, so you get MCP tool access alongside your existing extensions, terminal, and version control in a single window
Cline can create, edit, and delete files based on MCP tool responses, enabling end-to-end automation from data retrieval to code generation
Transparent execution: every tool call and file change is shown in Cline's activity log for full visibility and approval before committing
Censys + Cline Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Cline combined with the Censys MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Autonomous feature building: tell Cline to fetch data from Censys and scaffold a complete module with types, handlers, and tests
Codebase refactoring: use Censys tools to validate live data while Cline restructures your code to match updated schemas
Automated testing: Cline fetches real responses from Censys and generates snapshot tests or mocks based on actual payloads
Incident response: query Censys for real-time status and let Cline generate hotfix patches based on the findings
Censys MCP Tools for Cline (9)
These 9 tools become available when you connect Censys to Cline via MCP:
aggregate_hosts
Groups results by a specified field (e.g. "services.port", "location.country", "autonomous_system.name") and returns bucket counts. Useful for understanding the distribution of services, countries or ASNs matching a query. Aggregate host search results by a specific field
get_account_info
Useful for checking remaining API quota and account limits. Get your Censys account information
get_certificate
Returns the full parsed certificate including subject, issuer, validity, key info, extensions, CT logs and raw PEM data. Get detailed info for a specific certificate by fingerprint
get_certificate_hosts
Useful for finding all domains sharing a certificate (SANs). Returns IP addresses, ports and timestamps. Pagination via cursor. Get hosts using a specific certificate
get_host
Returns all open ports, service banners, TLS certificates, operating system detection, geolocation, autonomous system info and last updated timestamps. Get detailed info for a specific IP address
get_host_history
Shows how the host's services, ports and certificates have changed over time. Returns timestamps, services observed and changes detected. Pagination via cursor. Get historical scan data for a specific IP
search_certificates
Supports query syntax: issuer names, subject fields, serial numbers, validity dates, key algorithms, certificate transparency logs and more. Returns fingerprints, subjects, issuers, validity periods and key info. Search for SSL/TLS certificates
search_hosts
Supports powerful query syntax: service names (e.g. "nginx"), ports (e.g. "services.port:443"), protocols, operating systems, autonomous systems, geographic locations and more. Returns IP addresses, open ports, services, banners and locations. Pagination via cursor. Search for internet-connected hosts
view_host_diff
Useful for identifying changes between hosts or finding similar infrastructure. Compare two hosts to see differences
Example Prompts for Censys in Cline
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Cline agent to start working with Censys immediately.
"Find all nginx servers in Brazil."
"Get details for IP 8.8.8.8."
"Find certificates issued by Let's Encrypt expiring this month."
Troubleshooting Censys MCP Server with Cline
Common issues when connecting Censys to Cline through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
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Censys + Cline FAQ
Common questions about integrating Censys MCP Server with Cline.
How does Cline connect to MCP servers?
Can Cline run MCP tools without approval?
Does Cline support multiple MCP servers at once?
Connect Censys with your favorite client
Step-by-step setup guides for every MCP-compatible client and framework:
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Google's framework for building production AI agents.
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TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered web applications.
TypeScript-native agent framework for modern web stacks.
Python framework for orchestrating collaborative AI agent crews.
Leading Python framework for composable LLM applications.
Data-aware AI agent framework for structured and unstructured sources.
Microsoft's framework for multi-agent collaborative conversations.
Connect Censys to Cline
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 9 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.