vcs_show
Inspect a commit or a file at a revision. With no path: commit metadata (hash, author, date, subject, body) plus its patch (tail-truncated). With a path: the file's full content at that ref. ref defaults to HEAD and accepts any revision (branch, tag, sha, HEAD~2). Read-only.
This record as markdown: /tools/breakpoint-mcp/vcs-show.md
What vcs_show does on Breakpoint
AI agents call vcs_show to retrieve information from Breakpoint without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
ref | string | — | Revision to show (default HEAD): branch, tag, sha, or HEAD~n |
path | string | — | If set, return this file's content at <ref> instead of the commit |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why vcs_show is rated Low
Even though vcs_show only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs: an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.
Risk signalsAccepts file system path (path)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs vcs_show safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Breakpoint, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For vcs_show, this is the rule to start with:
vcs_show 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 Breakpoint, apply this rule, and every vcs_show call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about vcs_show
Inspect a commit or a file at a revision. With no path: commit metadata (hash, author, date, subject, body) plus its patch (tail-truncated). With a path: the file's full content at that ref. ref defaults to HEAD and accepts any revision (branch, tag, sha, HEAD~2). Read-only. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Breakpoint MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
vcs_show accepts 2 parameters: ref, path. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Breakpoint MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for vcs_show: 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 Breakpoint. Nothing to install.
vcs_show 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 vcs_show 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 vcs_show. 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.
vcs_show is provided by the Breakpoint MCP server (breakpoint-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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