io.github.danielecr/realssh-mcp
MCP server for SSH remote command execution
Ask AI about io.github.danielecr/realssh-mcp
Powered by Claude Β· Grounded in docs
I know everything about io.github.danielecr/realssh-mcp. Ask me about installation, configuration, usage, or troubleshooting.
0/500
Reviews
Documentation
SSH Real MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables SSH remote command execution by delegating entirely to the system ssh binary. This means ssh-agent, ProxyCommand, ~/.ssh/config, jump hosts, and every other OS-level SSH feature work out of the box β no Node.js crypto, no native addons.
How it works
Instead of implementing the SSH protocol in Node.js, this server spawns ssh as a child process and pipes the output back to the MCP client. Authentication, key discovery, and connection routing are handled by your OS, exactly as if you ran ssh yourself in a terminal.
Requirements: ssh must be installed and available in PATH (standard on macOS and Linux).
Features
- Zero auth config β uses your existing
ssh-agent,~/.ssh/config, and key files automatically - ProxyCommand / jump hosts β works natively, no special parameters needed
- Connectivity test β
ssh_testtool to verify reachability before running commands - Argument injection protection β host and username are validated before being passed to
ssh - Configurable timeout β commands are killed and an error is returned if they exceed the timeout
- Detailed results: stdout, stderr, and exit code
Installation
From npm
npm install -g @danielecr/realssh-mcp
From source
git clone https://github.com/danielecr/realssh-mcp.git
cd realssh-mcp
npm install
npm run build
VS Code / Copilot configuration
After installing the package globally, add the server to your MCP configuration. In VS Code, open the MCP config file via Command Palette β MCP: Open User Configuration and add:
{
"servers": {
"realssh": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "realssh-mcp"
}
}
}
Then run MCP: List Servers to verify the server is active.
Tools
ssh_execute
Execute a command on a remote server via SSH.
Parameters:
host(string, required): SSH server hostname or IP addresscommand(string, required): Command to execute on the remote serverusername(string, optional): SSH username. Defaults to the current OS userport(number, optional): SSH server port (default: 22)timeout(number, optional): Command timeout in milliseconds (default: 30000)agentForward(boolean, optional): Enable SSH agent forwarding-A(default: false)extraArgs(string[], optional): Extra SSH arguments (e.g.,["-o", "StrictHostKeyChecking=no"])
Example:
{
"host": "prod-web-01",
"command": "df -h"
}
{
"host": "192.168.1.100",
"username": "deploy",
"command": "systemctl status nginx"
}
ssh_test
Test SSH connectivity to a remote host (runs echo ok and checks the response).
Parameters:
host(string, required): SSH server hostname or IP addressusername(string, optional): SSH usernameport(number, optional): SSH server port (default: 22)extraArgs(string[], optional): Extra SSH arguments
Host configuration
Hosts, aliases, jump hosts, and identity files are configured in ~/.ssh/config β not in the MCP server. This is intentional: the OS ssh binary reads that file natively.
Example ~/.ssh/config:
Host prod
HostName prod.example.com
User deploy
ProxyJump bastion
Host bastion
HostName bastion.example.com
User admin
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/bastion_ed25519
With the above config, "host": "prod" works with no extra parameters.
Security considerations
- Commands are executed on remote systems with the privileges of the SSH user β ensure proper access controls on the remote side.
BatchMode=yesis set by default, preventing thesshprocess from hanging on interactive prompts.- Host and username inputs are validated to prevent SSH option injection.
- Command output may contain sensitive data; treat it accordingly.
License
MIT
