How to Update VulnClaw to the Latest Version: PyPI, Source, and Docker

Run pip install -U vulnclaw for PyPI installations, git pull && pip install -e . for local source clones, or rebuild the Docker image to update VulnClaw to the latest version.

Keeping your installation of Unclecheng-li/VulnClaw current ensures you have the newest vulnerability-detection skills, MCP tool integrations, and bug fixes. Whether you originally installed the scanner from PyPI, cloned the repository, or deployed it with Docker, the correct upgrade path depends on your setup. This guide walks through each method using the exact commands and source files defined in the repository.

Update VulnClaw to the Latest Version Using pip

The fastest way to update VulnClaw to the latest version is through the published Python wheel on PyPI.

Run pip install --upgrade vulnclaw

Open your terminal and execute:

pip install -U vulnclaw

The -U flag is shorthand for --upgrade. This command replaces the currently installed distribution with the newest release built from the source in pyproject.toml. That file holds the canonical package metadata, version string, and dependency constraints used during the publish step. Before each release, the maintainers run scripts/release_preflight.py in CI to verify the build and publish steps, ensuring the wheel on PyPI is always installable.

Verify the new installation

After the upgrade finishes, confirm the active version by querying the CLI entry point:

vulnclaw --version

According to the Unclecheng-li/VulnClaw source code, the CLI entry point in vulnclaw/cli/main.py resolves the version string at import time via importlib.metadata.version("vulnclaw"). This means the reported number always reflects the version currently installed in your Python environment.

Update VulnClaw to the Latest Version from Source

If you work with a local clone of the repository—perhaps to modify MCP plugins or test bleeding-edge commits—use an editable install.

Pull the latest changes and reinstall

Navigate to your clone and sync with the upstream branch:

cd ~/code/VulnClaw
git fetch --all
git checkout main
git pull
pip install -e .

The -e . flag performs an editable install, so Python references the source tree directly rather than copying files into site-packages. Because vulnclaw/cli/main.py reads version metadata from the installed distribution, reinstalling after a git pull ensures the interpreter registers updated modules and the incremented version declared in pyproject.toml.

Pin to a specific release tag

For reproducible environments, checkout a semantic-version tag instead of main:

git checkout v0.4.2
pip install -e .

Update VulnClaw to the Latest Version with Docker

Containerized deployments are updated either by pulling a fresh image or rebuilding locally.

Pull the latest pre-built image

If you use the public image without local modifications, run:

docker pull unclechengli/vulnclaw:latest

Rebuild locally from the Dockerfile

For users with custom MCP plugins or local patches, rebuild from the Dockerfile located in the repository root:

git pull
docker compose build --no-cache
docker compose up -d

The --no-cache flag forces Docker to copy the latest source—including any changes to pyproject.toml—into the new image layer. Once the container starts, the web UI becomes available on 127.0.0.1:7788 with the updated code and bundled tools.

Post-Update Health Check

After you update VulnClaw to the latest version, validate the environment:

vulnclaw doctor

This command checks that Python, Node, and MCP services are healthy. Note that user-specific settings stored in ~/.vulnclaw/config.yaml, such as custom LLM provider API keys, persist across upgrades and are never overwritten by package updates.

Summary

• PyPI: Run pip install -U vulnclaw to fetch the newest wheel and upgrade immediately.
• Source: Execute git pull followed by pip install -e . inside your local clone to apply upstream changes.
• Docker: Either docker pull unclechengli/vulnclaw:latest or rebuild with docker compose build --no-cache to roll out the latest container image.
• Verification: Use vulnclaw --version and vulnclaw doctor to confirm the update succeeded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will upgrading VulnClaw overwrite my configuration files?

No. The installer does not touch ~/.vulnclaw/config.yaml, where your API keys and LLM provider settings are stored. Upgrading via pip, source, or Docker only replaces the application code and dependencies.

How do I know which version of VulnClaw is currently installed?

Run vulnclaw --version. As implemented in Unclecheng-li/VulnClaw, the CLI entry point in vulnclaw/cli/main.py queries importlib.metadata at runtime, so the printed string matches the version declared in pyproject.toml.

Can I downgrade VulnClaw if the latest version breaks my workflow?

Yes. For PyPI installs, run pip install vulnclaw==<version> with the desired semantic version. If you cloned the repository, checkout the corresponding tag and reinstall with pip install -e . to pin the CLI to that release.

Why should I use docker compose build --no-cache instead of a cached build?

Docker layer caching can skip the copy step for pyproject.toml and the source tree, causing the image to retain stale code. Adding --no-cache guarantees that the Dockerfile copies the latest upstream files into the image, ensuring the container launches with the exact code present after your git pull.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}