AI agents call unified_search to retrieve information from Project Tessera without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
The tool performs a search query across indexed documents and stored memories, which is a read-only operation that retrieves data without side effects. Searching does not create, modify, delete, execute code, or move funds. This is consistent with the 'Read' category for tools that retrieve or query data.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'unified_search' and description states 'Search documents and memories together.' This is a retrieval operation with no modification or execution capabilities.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access unified_search gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Project Tessera, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for unified_search:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"unified_search": {}
}
}unified_search is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Search documents and memories together. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Project Tessera MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Project Tessera MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for unified_search: 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 Project Tessera. Nothing to install.
unified_search 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 unified_search 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 unified_search. 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.
unified_search is provided by the Project Tessera MCP server (besslframework-stack/project-tessera). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Project Tessera, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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43 Project Tessera tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.