High-risk tools in Openocd
7 of the 14 tools in Openocd are classified as high risk. This page profiles those tools specifically, with recommended policy actions and the attack patterns that target them.
Every operation listed below is an action PolicyLayer recommends controlling at the transport layer. Open any tool to see the full profile, risk score, and YAML policy snippet.
Tools at high risk
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debug_commandExecuteExecute one GDB command in current active debug session.
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debug_startExecuteStart debug session using specified launch configuration.
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debug_stopExecuteStop current active debug session and terminate OpenOCD/GDB processes.
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debug_continueExecuteContinue target execution (asynchronous — returns immediately). GDB stays responsive after this.
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debug_interruptExecuteInterrupt/pause the running target via GDB/MI -exec-interrupt with platform-specific fallback.
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flash_downloadExecuteFlash firmware once using specified launch configuration without starting debug session.
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debug_attachExecuteAttach to a running target without resetting or downloading firmware. Uses launch.json config with request=
Attacks that target this class
High-risk tools in any server share these documented attack patterns. Each links to the full case and the defensive policy.