shell_check_job

Check the status and read live output of a background shell job. Use tail_lines to control how many lines to retrieve.

SERVERHercules MCP SOURCE0xmihirk/hercules-mcp

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/shell-check-job.md

WHAT IT DOES

What shell_check_job does on Hercules MCP

AI agents call shell_check_job to retrieve information from Hercules MCP without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

RISK

Why shell_check_job is rated Low

While this tool operates within a penetration testing context (Kali Linux environment), the specific capability is limited to querying and reading status/output of background processes—a Read operation with no side effects on the underlying system.

From the tool's definition The tool description explicitly states 'Check the status and read live output' and 'how many lines to retrieve', indicating data retrieval operations only. The name 'check_job' combined with 'read output' confirms non-destructive, read-only functionality.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs shell_check_job safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Hercules MCP, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For shell_check_job, this is the rule to start with:

shell_check_job Allowed

shell_check_job is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "shell_check_job": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Hercules MCP, apply this rule, and every shell_check_job call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about shell_check_job

What does the shell_check_job tool do? +

Check the status and read live output of a background shell job. Use tail_lines to control how many lines to retrieve. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Hercules MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on shell_check_job? +

Register the Hercules MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for shell_check_job: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Hercules MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is shell_check_job? +

shell_check_job is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit shell_check_job? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the shell_check_job rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block shell_check_job completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for shell_check_job. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides shell_check_job? +

shell_check_job is provided by the Hercules MCP server (0xmihirk/hercules-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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