list_user_policies

SERVERAWS SOURCE@awslabs/mcp

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity verified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/aws/list-user-policies.md

WHAT IT DOES

What list_user_policies does on AWS

AI agents call list_user_policies 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.

RISK

Why list_user_policies is rated Low

This tool queries and retrieves IAM policy metadata for a specified user. It has no side effects, does not modify or delete data, and does not execute operations. It is a straightforward read operation that returns existing policy information.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'retrieves the names of all inline policies attached to the specified user' and 'This tool retrieves...'. The return value is a list of policy names with no modification or deletion capability.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

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

list_user_policies Allowed

list_user_policies 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": {
    "list_user_policies": {}
  }
}

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

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

FAQ

Questions about list_user_policies

What does the list_user_policies tool do? +

List all inline policies for an IAM user. This tool retrieves the names of all inline policies attached to the specified user. Args: user_name: The name of the IAM user Returns: InlinePolicyListResponse containing the list of policy names. It is categorised as a Read tool in the AWS MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_user_policies? +

Register the AWS MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_user_policies: 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.

What risk level is list_user_policies? +

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

Can I rate-limit list_user_policies? +

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

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

list_user_policies 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.

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