start_campaign · Pentest Ai MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What start_campaign does on Pentest Ai

AI agents invoke start_campaign to trigger actions in Pentest Ai. 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.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why start_campaign needs a policy

This tool triggers external operations (penetration testing) whose effects depend on the provided target arguments. While the intent is authorized security testing, this is fundamentally an Execute category tool because it runs complex security testing operations, frameworks, and exploits against specified targets.

From the tool's definition Tool starts automated pentesting campaigns that deploy 'real security tools, working PoCs' against multiple targets, creating engagements per target.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

start_campaign Rate-limited

start_campaign stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "start_campaign": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "start_campaign_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Pentest Ai, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about start_campaign

What does the start_campaign tool do? +

Start a multi-target campaign. Creates one engagement per target. Accepts a list of IPs, hostnames, or URLs. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Pentest Ai MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on start_campaign? +

Register the Pentest Ai MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for start_campaign: 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 start_campaign? +

start_campaign is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit start_campaign? +

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

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

start_campaign 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.

// THE FULL RECORD

start_campaign is one line of Pentest Ai's registry record.

The record carries the whole server: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, every tool classified, recommended policy — re-checked continuously.

Teams ship this data inside their own products. See what a licence covers →