test_credentials
Run authentication testing (default creds, password spray, MFA bypass). Lockout-aware. Prefers spraying over brute force on production targets. Returns immediately with engagement_id; agent runs asynchronously.
This record as markdown: /tools/0xsteph-pentest-ai/test-credentials.md
What test_credentials does on Pentest Ai
AI agents invoke test_credentials 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 test_credentials is rated High
This tool actively runs authentication attacks including password spraying and MFA bypass attempts against target systems. While framed as a pentest utility, it executes real attack operations against live authentication endpoints.
From the tool's definition 'Run authentication testing (default creds, password spray, MFA bypass)' — actively executes credential attacks against authentication systems
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs test_credentials safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Pentest Ai, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For test_credentials, this is the rule to start with:
test_credentials 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.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Pentest Ai, apply this rule, and every test_credentials call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about test_credentials
Run authentication testing (default creds, password spray, MFA bypass). Lockout-aware. Prefers spraying over brute force on production targets. Returns immediately with engagement_id; agent runs asynchronously. 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.
Register the Pentest Ai MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for test_credentials: 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.
test_credentials is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the test_credentials 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.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for test_credentials. 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.
test_credentials 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.
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