Hacker NewsSAFE
This MCP server acts as a bridge between the official Hacker News API and AI-powered tools that support the Model Context Protocol, such as Claude and Cursor.
Overview
From the repository's own README, as read at the audited commit. Badges and raw HTML are left out.
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Hacker News built with TypeScript.
This MCP server acts as a bridge between the official Hacker News API and AI-powered tools that support the Model Context Protocol, such as Claude and Cursor.
It enables these tools to fetch and interact with live Hacker News data (posts, comments, users) via standardized MCP endpoints.
Using with Claude Desktop or Cursor
Add to your Claude desktop config (claude_desktop_config.json) or your Cursor config file (mcp.json) :
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-hacker-news": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-hacker-news"]
}
}
}Features
- Integrates with the official Hacker News API to fetch posts, comments, and user information.
- Exposes standard Model Context Protocol endpoints for seamless integration with Claude, Cursor, and other LLM-based tools.
- Fetches the latest Hacker News data for AI and automation workflows.
Requirements
⚠️ If you are unsure about your Node.js version, runnode --versionin your terminal. Make sure it showsv18.x.xor higher. How to upgrade Node.js
Want to contribute? Just follow the steps below
Clone the repository and install dependencies:
git clone https://github.com/paablolc/mcp-hacker-news.git cd mcp-hacker-news pnpm install pnpm build `
39fbc806be3bOBSERVED · 2026-10-08Connect
Built from this server's own package name, version and transport as found in its source — not copied from anyone's documentation, so it cannot drift against a page we do not control.
claude mcp add mcp-hacker-news -- npx -y [email protected]
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-hacker-news": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"[email protected]"
]
}
}
}Exposed tools (11)
11 read · 0 write · 0 destructive.
| Tool | Risk | Description |
|---|---|---|
getAskHNStories | read | Get Ask HN stories |
getBestStories | read | Get best stories from Hacker News (algorithmically ranked) |
getComments | read | Get comments for a specific item |
getItem | read | Get a specific item (story, comment, job, etc.) by ID |
getJobStories | read | Get job postings from Hacker News |
getMaxItemId | read | Get the current maximum item ID |
getNewStories | read | Get newest stories from Hacker News |
getShowHNStories | read | Get Show HN stories |
getTopStories | read | Get top stories from Hacker News (up to 500 available) |
getUpdates | read | Get recently updated items and profiles |
getUser | read | Get user profile information |
Trust audit
SAFEgrade B · trust 89/100 Nothing in the source contradicts what it says it does. Grade A is reserved for packages that have also passed the behavioural sandbox.
| Layer | What it checks | Result |
|---|---|---|
| L0 | Provenance & inventory | PASS |
| L1 | Static analysis of the code | PASS |
| L2 | Instruction surface (what it tells the agent) | PASS |
| L3 | Class-specific surface | PASS |
| L4 | Behavioural (sandbox) | SKIPPED |
What the source does
- Filesystem
- none-observed
- Network
- declared (2 observation(s))
- Shell
- none-observed
- Dependencies
- not all pinned
- Secrets in source
- none-found
Findings (3)
@modelcontextprotocol/sdk, @types/node, ts-node, typescript
assets/mcp-hacker-news-demo.gif
Gates applied: no_behavioural_pass, no_license.
39fbc806be3bfull audit observations/trust-audit/mcp-server/paablolc__hacker-news-4.json · Report an issue / request a re-scanAudit history
Every audit this server has had. A grade with a past is a grade somebody is still checking.
| Date | Source | Verdict | Grade | Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-08 | 39fbc806be3b | SAFE | B | 89 | first audit |
Questions
What is the Hacker News MCP server?
This MCP server acts as a bridge between the official Hacker News API and AI-powered tools that support the Model Context Protocol, such as Claude and Cursor.
What tools does Hacker News expose?
11 in total: 11 read-only, 0 that write, and 0 that can delete or overwrite. Every one is listed on this page with its risk.
Is Hacker News safe to connect to an agent?
The audit found nothing in the source that contradicts what it says it does, and graded it B (89/100). Grade A is held back for packages that have also passed a sandboxed behavioural run, which is why a clean server reads B.
What credentials does Hacker News need?
No credential environment variables were found in its source, so it appears to need none.
How current is this page?
The grade is for one exact copy of the source (39fbc806be3b), read on 2026-10-08. The repository is watched and re-audited when it changes.