Tenable MCP. Assess risk, inventory assets, trigger scans—all from chat.
Gemini Works with every AI agent you already use
…and any MCP-compatible client
Just plug in your AI agents and start using Vinkius.
Tenable MCP Server manages your entire vulnerability lifecycle inside your AI client. It lets you inspect cloud assets, list configured scans, and triage CVE findings against specific infrastructure—all without leaving your IDE or chat window.
You can manually trigger assessments, check scanner health, and map out complex network topologies by calling tools like `list_assets` and `get_asset_vulnerabilities`.
Stop clicking through dashboards; start asking questions.
What your AI agents can do
Get asset details
Retrieves detailed metadata, networking info, and risk profile for one specific asset ID.
Get asset vulnerabilities
Pulls explicit security findings (Workbench) for a single asset ID.
Get scan results
Retrieves run-time analytics and vulnerability summaries for a specific scan job.
Retrieves detailed operational data—like OS fingerprints, IPs, and tags—for a specific piece of infrastructure.
Pulls security findings (Workbench results) for one asset, pinpointing exact CVEs without navigating complex UI sections.
Manually starts a configured vulnerability scan or fetches the detailed performance metrics from completed scans.
Lists all discovered hosts, cloud assets, logical networks, and operational scanner groups within your Tenable account.
Reviews the current status and plugin health of the internal scanning fleet to ensure data integrity.
Ask AI about this MCP
Supported MCP Clients
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Tenable MCP Server: 10 Tools for Security Operations
Use these ten tools to query asset metadata, trigger scans, and pull granular vulnerability reports from Tenable into your AI chat client.
019d7611get asset details
Retrieves detailed metadata, networking info, and risk profile for one specific asset ID.
019d7611get asset vulnerabilities
Pulls explicit security findings (Workbench) for a single asset ID.
019d7611get scan results
Retrieves run-time analytics and vulnerability summaries for a specific scan job.
019d7611launch scan
Manually triggers an immediate assessment of a configured vulnerability scan, returning the new run ID.
019d7611list asset tags
Lists and filters organizational tags that are mapped across your assets (e.g., 'Production', 'External').
019d7611list assets
Generates a list of all host and cloud assets discovered in Tenable.io.
019d7611list logical networks
Lists the defined logical routing networks that govern your asset groupings within Tenable.
019d7611list scan folders
Lists operational folders where scan jobs are organized (e.g., 'My Scans', 'PCI Quarters').
019d7611list scanners
Lists the physical and virtual Nessus scanners that Tenable manages.
019d7611list scans
Lists all past and scheduled vulnerability assessment scans available in your account.
Choose How to Get Started
Build a custom MCP for your own tools, or connect a ready-made integration from our catalog.
Build Your Own
Turn any API into an MCP. Import a spec, define Agent Skills, or deploy with MCPFusion.
- Import from OpenAPI, Swagger, or YAML specs
- Create Agent Skills with progressive disclosure
- Deploy to edge with MCPFusion framework
- Built in DLP, auth, and compliance on every call
- Real time usage dashboard and cost metering
- Publish to catalog or keep private
Make Your AI Do More
Start with Tenable, then connect any of our 4,700+ other servers whenever your AI needs more. One click, no limits.
- Use this MCP plus 4,700+ others, all in one place
- Add new capabilities to your AI anytime you want
- Every connection is secured and compliant automatically
- Track usage and costs across all your servers
- Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more
- New servers added to the catalog every week
What you can do with this MCP connector
Tenable MCP Server connects your whole Tenable environment (Tenable.io) directly to your AI client. You manage vulnerability risk right in your chat or IDE. This server takes complex security workflows and turns them into simple questions for your agent.
Inventory and Scope Mapping:
You can start by getting a list of every host and cloud asset Tenable has found using list_assets. Need more detail? Call get_asset_details to pull the full metadata, networking info, and risk profile for any single asset ID. You can also check out all operational folders where scan jobs are filed with list_scan_folders, or review what logical routing networks govern your assets by calling list_logical_networks.
If you need to know which scanners Tenable runs, use list_scanners to see the physical and virtual Nessus units. To narrow down what's important, run list_asset_tags to pull all organizational tags mapped across your infrastructure, like 'Production' or 'External'.
Running Assessments:
Want to start a scan right now? You can manually trigger an immediate assessment using launch_scan, and the tool gives you the new run ID. If you want to see what scans ran before or are scheduled for later, use list_scans to pull that list. For a completed job, call get_scan_results to get real-time analytics and summary data from a specific scan job.
Deep Dive Analysis:
When you’ve got the asset list, you can drill down into vulnerabilities. To pull explicit security findings (Workbench results) for just one asset ID, use get_asset_vulnerabilities. This tool pinpoints exact CVEs without forcing you to navigate complex UI sections. For a single piece of infrastructure, running get_asset_details gives you the OS fingerprints and IP addresses needed before you even check for flaws.
Operational Checks:
Your agent can also keep an eye on Tenable's operational status. You can review the current plugin health and overall performance of the internal scanning fleet by listing scanners, ensuring your data is solid before running anything major.
How Tenable MCP Works
- 1 Subscribe to the server and provide your Tenable Access Key and Secret Key.
- 2 Ask your AI client a specific question (e.g., 'List all assets tagged as Production').
- 3 The agent calls the appropriate tool (like
list_assetsorget_asset_details) and returns the structured data directly to you.
The bottom line is, your AI client performs the complex API calls for you. You just talk to it.
Who Is Tenable MCP For?
This server is for security engineers and ops staff who are sick of clicking through ten different dashboards just to answer one question. It’s for the analyst who needs immediate, actionable data on a compromised host's CVE profile—the kind of work done at 2 AM when you can't wait for a dashboard refresh.
Triggers scans on newly deployed infrastructure zones right from their code editor, then pulls the results via get_scan_results to check for immediate vulnerabilities.
Pulls CVE details for a specific compromised server instantly using get_asset_vulnerabilities, bypassing hours of manual research through Tenable's web UI.
Audits the health of the entire scanner fleet and checks if host tags actually match the defined logical network topologies using list_scanners and list_logical_networks.
What Changes When You Connect
- Stop searching dashboards. Instead of navigating through multiple tabs to find a host's vulnerability profile, use
get_asset_vulnerabilitiesto pull specific CVE findings instantly. This saves minutes on every incident response. - Get immediate action. Don't wait for the scheduled window to run a critical check. Use
launch_scanto manually trigger an assessment immediately, getting a new job ID right away. - Know your scope. When you need to audit compliance or check blast radius, use
list_assetsto get a clean inventory list and then filter it with tags vialist_asset_tags. No more guessing what was missed. - Deep dive on one asset. Need to know if Asset X is secure? Call
get_asset_detailsfirst for its OS fingerprint, then use that context to callget_asset_vulnerabilities. It's a two-step process in natural language. - Manage the whole system. Use
list_scannersandlist_scan_folderstogether. You can audit if your scanning infrastructure is healthy and where its reports are filed, all without logging into Tenable.
Real-World Use Cases
The Immediate Breach Assessment
A server alerts you to a potential breach on Asset ID 1383da-xxx. Instead of jumping through the web UI, your agent calls get_asset_vulnerabilities immediately. It returns three critical findings (like Windows OTD exploit) and tells you that the host is missing four months of patches. Problem solved in seconds.
The Compliance Audit
You need to confirm all 'Production' assets were scanned last quarter for PCI compliance. The agent first runs list_asset_tags to get the list, then uses that filter with list_scans to check if a corresponding scan job exists and was recently run.
The New Deployment Check
A new development environment goes live. Instead of waiting for the nightly scan cycle, you tell your agent to use launch_scan on that specific asset group. The system runs the scan and provides a job ID, letting you monitor its progress directly.
Network Topology Review
You suspect two different network segments might be overlapping or misconfigured. Your agent first uses list_logical_networks to see the defined boundaries, and then calls list_assets to cross-reference which assets belong in those spaces.
The Tradeoffs
Trying to get everything at once
Asking 'Show me all vulnerabilities for every asset that is production and connected to the PCI network.' This vague query forces the agent to guess parameters, leading to incomplete or empty results.
→
Break it down. First, run list_assets filtered by tags (using a tag list). Then, iterate over the returned Asset IDs and call get_asset_vulnerabilities for each one. This guarantees scope and completeness.
Forgetting to check scanner health
Running an urgent scan (launch_scan) based on old data, only to find out the underlying Nessus scanner is offline or using deprecated plugins.
→
Before launching any critical scan, always verify operational status by calling list_scanners and then checking plugin health. You need confirmation that the tool itself works.
Misusing asset data
Using general host details (get_asset_details) to assume vulnerability status, when in fact, you need a formal scan result.
→
If you're looking for CVE severity or explicit findings, use get_asset_vulnerabilities. If you just need IP addresses and OS type, use get_asset_details.
When It Fits, When It Doesn't
Use this server if your core problem is data access speed. You need to move vulnerability investigation from the clicks of a web UI into the conversational flow of an agent. This works best when you have specific inputs: 'Give me vulnerabilities for this asset' or 'Check scan results for that job ID.'
Don't use this if your goal is just high-level reporting—if you only need a single, pre-formatted PDF report on the entire environment, Tenable’s native dashboard might be faster. However, if that report requires combining asset metadata (get_asset_details), vulnerability findings (get_asset_vulnerabilities), and operational status checks (list_scanners)—then this server is essential. You rely on list_assets for scope definition, but you must use the specific tools to drill down into actionable data.
Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by Tenable. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.
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Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more
The Model Context Protocol standardizes how applications expose capabilities to LLMs. Instead of operating in isolation, your AI gains direct access to external platforms, live data, and real-world actions through secure, standardized connections.
This server provides 10 capabilities that interface natively with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and any MCP client. No middleware. No custom integration required.
Available Capabilities
Security audits shouldn't require a PhD in UI navigation.
Today, checking an asset’s full risk profile is a nightmare. You start by finding the host ID on the assets tab. Then you jump to the vulnerability section and filter by severity. If you need historical results, you have to find the correct scan run ID in another folder list. It’s copy-pasting IDs across five different tabs just to build a picture.
With this MCP server, that process collapses into natural language. You ask your agent: 'What critical CVEs are on asset 1383da-xxx?' The agent calls `get_asset_vulnerabilities` and gives you the payload directly. It’s instant context transfer—no dashboard hopping needed.
Tenable MCP Server: Operationalize Tenable.io
Manually initiating a scan is always painful. You have to navigate the 'Scans' list, select the template, set the target scope, and click 'Run'. If you change anything—like targeting a new network folder or adding an asset group—you start over.
Now, you just tell your agent: 'Launch the PCI assessment on these newly tagged assets.' The server uses `launch_scan` to trigger it immediately. It handles the API complexity so you get confirmation and a job ID instantly.
Common Questions About Tenable MCP
How does list_assets differ from get_asset_details? +
list_assets gives you a comprehensive list of every host and cloud asset discovered in your environment. get_asset_details requires you to provide a specific Asset ID, and it returns the deep metadata (OS fingerprint, tags) for only that single item.
Can I run a scan without using launch_scan? +
No. While you can view past results with get_scan_results, you must use launch_scan to initiate any new, live assessment job on demand.
What should I check before trusting the vulnerability data? +
Check scanner health first. Run list_scanners and verify that plugins are active. This confirms the underlying tools used for detection are up to date and functioning correctly.
How do I find out which assets belong in a specific network? +
You start by calling list_logical_networks to see the defined boundaries, and then you use the list of tags from list_asset_tags to narrow down your asset scope.
I need historical results. Which tool should I use? +
Use get_scan_results. This function is designed specifically to retrieve runtime analytics and summary data for a previously executed scan job ID, giving you the performance metrics you want.
What credentials must I provide to successfully use tools like `list_scanners`? +
You need your Tenable Access Key and Secret Key. These keys authenticate your agent, giving it permission to read and write data across your enterprise scanning fleet.
When using `get_asset_vulnerabilities`, how do I narrow down the findings? +
You can filter results by severity level or specific plugin ID. Simply pass parameters like 'Critical' or a known CVE number to limit what the tool returns.
What does `list_scanners` show me about my operational fleet health? +
This command lists all Nessus scanners managed by Tenable.io. It lets you verify plugin status and confirm if your entire scanning infrastructure is fully active before running any jobs.
Can my AI agent trigger vulnerability scans directly? +
Yes! You can ask your agent to list all mapped scan profiles. Once you copy the ID for something like 'External Perimeter Quick Scan', you can tell the agent to seamlessly launch that specific scan ID out of standard bounds.
How easy is it to investigate an alert about a single compromised asset? +
Extremely fast. If an IP triggers an alert downstream, ask your agent to retrieve asset details tracking that IP, obtain its specific Asset ID, and immediately pull vulnerabilities. You will instantly get a markdown table of CVEs missing on the endpoint without complex GUI clicking.
Can the agent interact with scanner appliances (Nessus)? +
Yes. It can fetch your entire scanner inventory across Tenable.io. This includes the internal Nessus agents linked to the account, their connection status, license states, and underlying software versions so you know if your fleet is healthy.
Use it with your favorite AI tools
Connect this server to Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and more.
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