scan_common_ports
Scan 17 commonly used ports on a host and report which are open (FTP, SSH, HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, DNS, MySQL, PostgreSQL, RDP, SMB, etc.). Faster alternative to running port_check 17 times.
This record as markdown: /tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/scan-common-ports.md
What scan_common_ports does on Mcp Nettools
AI agents call scan_common_ports 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.
Why scan_common_ports is rated Low
This tool performs passive reconnaissance by checking port availability on a host — it only reads/probes network state without modifying or executing anything. However, it has medium severity because port scanning against unauthorized hosts could be considered intrusive or used for malicious reconnaissance, and misuse by an AI agent could trigger security alerts or violate policies.
From the tool's definition Scan 17 commonly used ports on a host and report which are open
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs scan_common_ports 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 scan_common_ports, this is the rule to start with:
scan_common_ports is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Mcp Nettools, apply this rule, and every scan_common_ports call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about scan_common_ports
Scan 17 commonly used ports on a host and report which are open (FTP, SSH, HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, DNS, MySQL, PostgreSQL, RDP, SMB, etc.). Faster alternative to running port_check 17 times. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mcp Nettools MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Mcp Nettools MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for scan_common_ports: 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.
scan_common_ports is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the scan_common_ports 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 scan_common_ports. 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.
scan_common_ports 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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