# shell_kill_job

Kill a running background shell job (useful for stuck commands).

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `shell_kill_job`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/shell-kill-job

## Facts

- Tool: `shell_kill_job`
- Server: Hercules MCP (`0xmihirk/hercules-mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/0xMihirK/hercules-mcp
- Risk category: Execute (High risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Rate-limited

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "shell_kill_job",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why shell_kill_job is rated High

This tool executes a command to kill a process, which is an Execute action—it runs system-level operations with side effects that depend on arguments (the job identifier). While not destructive in the sense of permanent data loss, killing jobs in an offensive security context could disrupt attack chains, crash tools, or terminate security testing workflows.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool name 'shell_kill_job' and description 'Kill a running background shell job' indicate execution of system commands that terminate processes."

## Use case

AI agents invoke shell_kill_job to trigger actions in Hercules MCP. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Rate-limited**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Hercules MCP:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "shell_kill_job": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "shell_kill_job_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Hercules MCP (44)

- `browser_act` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/browser-act.md
- `browser_cmd` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/browser-cmd.md
- `browser_eval` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/browser-eval.md
- `browser_open` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/browser-open.md
- `browser_session` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/browser-session.md
- `browser_wait` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/browser-wait.md
- `bruteforce_hydra` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/bruteforce-hydra.md
- `crack_john` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/crack-john.md
- `ctf_binwalk` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/ctf-binwalk.md
- `ctf_steghide` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/ctf-steghide.md
- `fuzz_dirs` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/fuzz-dirs.md
- `metasploit_generate_payload` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/metasploit-generate-payload.md
- `metasploit_manage` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/metasploit-manage.md
- `metasploit_run_module` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/metasploit-run-module.md
- `metasploit_start_listener` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/metasploit-start-listener.md
- `ncat` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/ncat.md
- `network_curl` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/network-curl.md
- `network_hping3` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/network-hping3.md
- `nmap_run_nse_script` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/nmap-run-nse-script.md
- `nmap_scan` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/nmap-scan.md
- `nmap_write_nse_script` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/nmap-write-nse-script.md
- `nuclei_run` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/nuclei-run.md
- `recon_amass` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/recon-amass.md
- `recon_dns` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/recon-dns.md
- `searchsploit` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/searchsploit.md
- `shell_exec` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/shell-exec.md
- `shell_exec_background` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/shell-exec-background.md
- `sqlmap_run` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/sqlmap-run.md
- `system_start_new_session` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/system-start-new-session.md
- `system_stop_container` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp/system-stop-container.md
- …and 14 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=0xmihirk-hercules-mcp · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/0xmihirk-hercules-mcp