• INVENTORY
  • AUDIT
  • REPORT
  • HUMAN

How to track certificate infrastructure with your AI

Connect Censys to your AI client to turn a single SSL fingerprint into a full map of your digital footprint.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I find all hosts using a specific SSL certificate?

Your AI uses Censys to pull a certificate fingerprint and then identifies every host and domain associated with it. This lets you map out your entire attack surface from a single piece of data. You'll see the full breakdown of the infrastructure below.

The results.

Where your data lands.

The AI organizes the Censys scan results into these specific views.

INVENTORY

Complete host lists

The AI pulls all domains and IP addresses linked to the fingerprint. You get a clean list of everything currently using that certificate.

AUDIT

Fingerprint mapping

The AI identifies which specific certificates match your search. This helps you spot shadow IT or forgotten subdomains.

REPORT

Structured summaries

The AI turns raw Censys data into a readable summary of your infrastructure. You can then move this data into your own documentation.

HUMAN

Manual verification

The AI flags suspicious or unexpected hosts. You decide if these belong to your organization or represent a security risk.

The workflow

What your AI does when the request arrives.

The AI handles the heavy lifting of querying Censys and parsing the network data.

  1. Locate the certificate

    The AI starts by searching for the specific SSL certificate you're interested in.

    search_certificates

  2. Extract host data

    Once the certificate is found, the AI pulls the list of all associated hosts and domains.

    get_certificate_hosts

  3. Filter results

    The AI narrows down the list based on your specific requirements, like IP ranges or domain patterns.

    get_certificate_hosts

  4. Summarize findings

    The AI organizes the discovered hosts into a format you can actually use for your report.

    search_certificates

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to kick off your search.

Starting points

Replace the bracketed text with your actual certificate serial number or fingerprint.

Censys Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_s8bUKfbc9OS3leqa10RhKd63iRfAGn5ERJCnUH87/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Censys capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "censys-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_s8bUKfbc9OS3leqa10RhKd63iRfAGn5ERJCnUH87/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Find all hosts using the certificate with fingerprint [insert fingerprint].

  • Search for certificates matching [insert serial number] and list the domains.

  • Using the certificate fingerprint [insert fingerprint], show me all associated IP addresses.

  • List every host tied to the certificate [insert serial number] and summarize the results.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Censys once, then ask.

You only need to link your account once. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can immediately start querying Censys through your AI client.

Connect Censys to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves.

  • 01

    Can the AI change my Censys settings?

    No. The AI can only read data from Censys using the provided tools; it cannot modify your account or settings.

  • 02

    Does the AI automatically scan my network?

    No. The AI only performs searches when you explicitly ask it to using a prompt.

  • 03

    Can I use this to find expired certificates?

    Yes, if you use the search tool to look for certificates with specific expiration dates.

  • 04

    Will the AI delete any data from Censys?

    No. The tools are read-only. The AI has no capability to delete or alter any data in your Censys account.

  • 05

    Can the AI create new certificate requests?

    No. This MCP is designed for discovery and reconnaissance, not for certificate management or issuance.

  • More questions about Censys? The Connector page answers them. See everything the Censys Connector can do

Connect Censys to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more