How to Get Started with Snyk CLI and the Snyk MCP Server

Ready to level up your security game with Snyk? In this tutorial, we’re diving into the Snyk CLI and the Snyk MCP server, a dynamic duo for keeping your code safe and secure. I’ll walk you through what Snyk is, how to install the CLI, and how to set up the Snyk MCP server to integrate with AI workflows—all in a fun, conversational tone. Let’s get started!

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What Is Snyk?

Snyk is like your code’s personal bodyguard. It’s a developer-first security platform that helps you find and fix vulnerabilities in your code, dependencies, containers, and infrastructure as code. Whether you’re working on a side project or a massive enterprise app, Snyk scans your codebase for issues and provides actionable remediation advice. It supports a ton of languages and frameworks, integrates with your CI/CD pipeline, and plays nice with tools like GitHub and Docker.

The Snyk MCP server takes things up a notch, letting AI clients and agentic workflows interact programmatically with Snyk’s security scanning features. It’s like giving your AI assistant the power to spot vulnerabilities in your code—pretty cool, right?

Why Use the Snyk MCP Server?

The Snyk MCP server (Model Context Protocol) is an experimental feature that lets AI systems, like Claude or Cursor, tap into Snyk’s security scanning capabilities. It exposes Snyk’s features—like dependency vulnerability checks and code analysis—to AI-driven workflows, enabling automated security scans and insights. This means you can ask your AI to “check my project for vulnerabilities” and get detailed results without lifting a finger.

Let’s get the Snyk CLI up and running on your machine. It’s super easy, and there are multiple ways to do it depending on your platform. Here’s how:

Installing the Snyk CLI and MCP Server

Prerequisites

For npm installation: Node.js and npm.
For Homebrew: Homebrew installed (macOS/Linux).
For Scoop: Scoop installed (Windows).
A Snyk account for authentication.

Step 1: Install the Snyk CLI

Choose your preferred method to install the Snyk CLI:

a. Using npm (Node.js required)

npm install snyk -g

This installs Snyk globally on your system.

b. Using Homebrew (macOS/Linux)

brew tap snyk/tap
brew install snyk

c. Using Scoop (Windows)

scoop bucket add snyk https://github.com/snyk/scoop-snyk
scoop install snyk

d. Using a Standalone Binary

Download the executable for your platform from Snyk’s releases.

For example, on macOS:

curl --compressed https://downloads.snyk.io/cli/stable/snyk-macos -o snyk
chmod +x ./snyk
mv ./snyk /usr/local/bin/

On windows:

curl https://static.snyk.io/cli/latest/snyk-win.exe -o snyk.exe

For Linux or Alpine, check the Snyk documentation for direct download links.

Step 2: Authenticate the Snyk CLI

After installation, create a Snyk account if you don’t have one. Then authenticate the CLI:

snyk auth

This opens a browser window to log in or sign up. For CI/CD or headless environments, set the SNYK_TOKEN environment variable with your Snyk API token (found in your Snyk account settings).

Step 3: Verify Your Installation

Check if the CLI is working:

snyk --version
snyk test --help

Try a quick test on a public package:

snyk test ionic

This should return a vulnerability report for the Ionic package.

Step 4: Set Up the Snyk MCP Server

The Snyk MCP server lets AI clients interact with Snyk’s security features. Here’s how to configure it in an AI client like Cursor:

Configuring the MCP Server in Cursor

Go to Settings > Tools and Integrations > Add New MCP Server.
Paste this configuration into your client’s config file (e.g., mcp_config.json or claude-config.json):

For stdio transport:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Snyk Security Scanner": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/snyk",
      "args": ["mcp", "-t", "stdio", "--experimental"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Replace /absolute/path/to/snyk with the actual path to your Snyk CLI executable (find it with which snyk on Unix or where snyk on Windows).

Start the Snyk MCP server and note the port it runs on (e.g., localhost:PORT). Add this to your client config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Snyk Security Scanner": {
      "url": "http://localhost:PORT/sse"
    }
  }
}

You can also set organization IDs or other environment variables as needed for your Snyk account.

Step 5: Example Usage

With the Snyk MCP server configured, your AI client can trigger Snyk scans. Try a prompt like:

"Please check for vulnerabilities in the dependencies of this project."

The server will analyze your project and return a report with vulnerability details and remediation advice. Note: The Snyk MCP server is experimental, so results may be less detailed than the CLI. For complex projects with multiple dependencies, the CLI is recommended for more comprehensive reports. The MCP server shines in standalone projects or simpler workflows.

Troubleshooting Tips

Command Not Found? Ensure the Snyk CLI path is correct in your MCP config. Use the full path if needed (e.g., /usr/local/bin/snyk).
Limited MCP Results? For detailed reports, use the Snyk CLI directly instead of the MCP server.

Wrapping Up

And there you go! You’ve got the Snyk CLI and Snyk MCP server ready to keep your code secure. The CLI is your go-to for deep vulnerability scans, while the MCP server brings AI-powered security checks into your workflows. Whether you’re scanning a small project or automating security in a CI/CD pipeline, Snyk’s got your back.

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