cert_check

Check the SSL certificate on a host — expiry, issued date, issuer, SANs, and days remaining. timeout: 1-60 s.

SERVERMcp Nettools SOURCEaaronckj/mcp-nettools

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/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/cert-check.md

WHAT IT DOES

What cert_check does on Mcp Nettools

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

RISK

Why cert_check is rated Low

This is a pure information-retrieval tool that queries and reports SSL certificate metadata from a remote host. It has no side effects, does not modify any data, and does not execute code or delete resources. The only parameter is a timeout setting (1-60s), which cannot cause harm. Confidence is high because the description explicitly limits the tool to certificate inspection.

From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Check[s] the SSL certificate on a host' and returns read-only information: 'expiry, issued date, issuer, SANs, and days remaining.' No modification, deletion, or command execution capability is described.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs cert_check safely

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

cert_check Allowed

cert_check 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": {
    "cert_check": {}
  }
}

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

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

FAQ

Questions about cert_check

What does the cert_check tool do? +

Check the SSL certificate on a host — expiry, issued date, issuer, SANs, and days remaining. timeout: 1-60 s. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mcp Nettools MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on cert_check? +

Register the Mcp Nettools MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for cert_check: 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 Mcp Nettools. Nothing to install.

What risk level is cert_check? +

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

Can I rate-limit cert_check? +

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

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

cert_check is provided by the Mcp Nettools MCP server (aaronckj/mcp-nettools). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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