Low Risk

list_tools

List all available security tools, optionally filtered by category. Categories: network, web, password, binary, cloud, osint

How to control list_tools ↓

AI agents call list_tools to retrieve information from Pentest Ai without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Low Risk

This tool performs information retrieval only. It retrieves metadata about available security tools and their categories. There is no capability to execute tools, modify data, delete resources, or trigger external operations. The read-only nature and minimal blast radius (disclosure of tool names/categories) make this a low-severity Read operation.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'list_tools' and description states 'List all available security tools, optionally filtered by category.' This is a pure query/retrieval operation with no side effects—it only enumerates available tools without executing them, modifying state, or…

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_tools gives an agent:

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Pentest Ai, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_tools:

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list_tools": {}
  }
}

list_tools is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

  1. Create a free account and register Pentest Ai — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
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Go deeper

What does the list_tools tool do? +

List all available security tools, optionally filtered by category. Categories: network, web, password, binary, cloud, osint. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Pentest Ai MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_tools? +

Register the Pentest Ai MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_tools: 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 Pentest Ai. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list_tools? +

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

Can I rate-limit list_tools? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list_tools 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 list_tools completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for list_tools. 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 list_tools? +

list_tools is provided by the Pentest Ai MCP server (0xsteph/pentest-ai). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Pentest Ai tool call.

Deterministic rules across all 51 Pentest Ai tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.

Free to start. No card required.

51 Pentest Ai tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.

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