list_canaries
List all CloudWatch Synthetics canaries in the account. Use this tool to discover canaries before analyzing them with analyze_canary_failures(). Returns canary names, status, schedule, runtime version, and last run state. Args: region: AWS region to query (defaults to configured region). max_resu...
This record as markdown: /tools/aws/list-canaries.md
What list_canaries does on AWS
AI agents call list_canaries to retrieve information from AWS without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Why list_canaries is rated Low
This tool retrieves monitoring configuration data from AWS CloudWatch Synthetics without modifying, executing, or deleting anything. It is purely informational, used to discover canaries before analysis. The blast radius of misuse is limited to information disclosure about monitoring infrastructure.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_canaries' and description 'List all CloudWatch Synthetics canaries in the account' with return value 'Formatted list of all canaries with their current status and configuration' indicates a query/list operation with no side effects.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs list_canaries safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and AWS, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For list_canaries, this is the rule to start with:
list_canaries 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 AWS, apply this rule, and every list_canaries call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about list_canaries
List all CloudWatch Synthetics canaries in the account. Use this tool to discover canaries before analyzing them with analyze_canary_failures(). Returns canary names, status, schedule, runtime version, and last run state. Args: region: AWS region to query (defaults to configured region). max_results: Maximum number of canaries to display (default: 20, max: 200). Returns: Formatted list of all canaries with their current status and configuration. It is categorised as a Read tool in the AWS MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the AWS MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_canaries: 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 AWS. Nothing to install.
list_canaries 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 list_canaries 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 list_canaries. 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.
list_canaries is provided by the AWS MCP server (@awslabs/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
More on AWS, and thousands of servers like it.
This server
Across the catalogue