ping_sweep

Ping all hosts in an IPv4 CIDR range and report which respond. Max /24 (256 addresses). Runs parallel pings. timeout: per-host wait in seconds. Returns list of alive IPs.

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/ping-sweep.md

WHAT IT DOES

What ping_sweep does on Mcp Nettools

AI agents call ping_sweep 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 ping_sweep is rated Low

ping_sweep retrieves information about network host availability through ICMP echo requests. This is a Read operation: it discovers which hosts are alive but does not create, modify, delete, or execute arbitrary commands.

From the tool's definition Tool description: 'Ping all hosts in an IPv4 CIDR range and report which respond.' The tool performs network discovery (listing alive IPs) with no modification, deletion, or execution of arbitrary code on targets.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs ping_sweep 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 ping_sweep, this is the rule to start with:

ping_sweep Allowed

ping_sweep 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": {
    "ping_sweep": {}
  }
}

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 ping_sweep call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about ping_sweep

What does the ping_sweep tool do? +

Ping all hosts in an IPv4 CIDR range and report which respond. Max /24 (256 addresses). Runs parallel pings. timeout: per-host wait in seconds. Returns list of alive IPs. 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 ping_sweep? +

Register the Mcp Nettools MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for ping_sweep: 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 ping_sweep? +

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

Can I rate-limit ping_sweep? +

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

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

ping_sweep 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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