Bring Application Security
to VS Code Copilot
Learn how to connect HCL AppScan to VS Code Copilot and start using 10 AI agent tools in minutes. Fully managed, enterprise secure, and ready to use without writing a single line of code.
GDPR Free for Subscribers
What is the HCL AppScan MCP Server?
The HCL AppScan MCP Server brings powerful application security testing capabilities directly to your AI agent. Seamlessly manage your security posture by monitoring vulnerabilities, tracking scan progress, and auditing your application inventory across HCL AppScan on Cloud (ASoC).
Key Features
- Inventory Management — List and search for applications in your security inventory to find their unique IDs.
- Vulnerability Tracking — Retrieve detailed lists of security issues found during scans, including severity and status.
- Scan Oversight — Monitor all performed scans and check the real-time status of active security tests.
- Dynamic Analysis (DAST) — Start new DAST scans for your web applications directly from your chat interface.
- Agent & Presence Monitoring — List available Presences (local agents) used for scanning internal applications.
- Real-time Insights — Get instant summaries of your security findings and prioritize remediation efforts.
Who is this for?
- Security Engineers — Quickly audit security findings across multiple applications without manual dashboard exports.
- DevSecOps Teams — Integrate security scan monitoring and initiation into your automated workflows.
- Compliance Officers — Monitor application security status and ensure all apps are regularly scanned.
Built-in capabilities (10)
Verify AppScan account connection
Retrieve authenticated user information
Get details for a specific application
Get detailed information about a specific vulnerability
Get details and status for a specific scan
List all applications in your AppScan inventory
List vulnerabilities found for a specific application
List AppScan Presences (local agents)
List all scans performed in the account
Start a new Dynamic Analysis (DAST) scan
Why VS Code Copilot?
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings HCL AppScan data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 10 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
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VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor
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Project-scoped MCP configs (
.vscode/mcp.json) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access - —
Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop
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GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services
HCL AppScan in VS Code Copilot
HCL AppScan and 3,400+ other MCP servers. One platform. One governance layer.
Teams that connect HCL AppScan to VS Code Copilot through Vinkius don't need to source, host, or maintain individual MCP servers. Every tool call runs inside a hardened runtime with credential isolation, DLP, and a signed audit chain.
Raw MCP | Vinkius | |
|---|---|---|
| Server catalog | Find and host yourself | 3,400+ managed |
| Infrastructure | Self-hosted | Sandboxed V8 isolates |
| Credential handling | Plaintext in config | Vault + runtime injection |
| Data loss prevention | None | Configurable DLP policies |
| Kill switch | None | Global instant shutdown |
| Financial circuit breakers | None | Per-server limits + alerts |
| Audit trail | None | Ed25519 signed logs |
| SIEM log streaming | None | Splunk, Datadog, Webhook |
| Honeytokens | None | Canary alerts on leak |
| Custom domains | Not applicable | DNS challenge verified |
| GDPR compliance | Manual effort | Automated purge + export |
Why teams choose Vinkius for HCL AppScan in VS Code Copilot
The HCL AppScan 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. All 10 tools execute in hardened sandboxes optimized for native MCP execution.
Your AI agents in VS Code Copilot only access the data you authorize, with DLP that blocks sensitive information from ever reaching the model, kill switch for instant shutdown, and up to 60% token savings. Enterprise-grade infrastructure, zero maintenance.
* 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
How Vinkius secures
HCL AppScan for VS Code Copilot
Every tool call from VS Code Copilot to the HCL AppScan MCP Server is protected by DLP redaction, cryptographic audit chains, V8 sandbox isolation, kill switch, and financial circuit breakers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my AppScan API Key ID and Secret?
Log in to the AppScan on Cloud console, go to your User Profile (top right), and select API Keys. You can generate a new Key ID and Key Secret there.
Does this server support the EU region?
Yes, you can configure the APPSCAN_REGION environment variable to eu to connect to the European data center (eu.cloud.appscan.com).
Can I start a scan for an internal application?
Yes, provided you have an AppScan Presence (local agent) configured. You can use the list_presence tool to check their availability before starting a scan.
Which VS Code version supports MCP?
MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.
How do I switch to Agent mode?
Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.
Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?
Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.
Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?
Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.
MCP tools not available
Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.