process_security
Processes: audit running, capabilities, namespaces, anomaly detection, cgroup limits
This record as markdown: /tools/defense/process-security.md
What process_security does on Defense
AI agents use process_security to create or update resources in Defense, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Defense environment.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
pid | number | — | Specific process ID to inspect |
action | string | Yes | Process security action |
filter | string | — | Filter processes by name pattern (regex) |
show_all | boolean | — | Show all processes, not just suspicious |
output_format | string | — | Output format |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why process_security is rated Medium
An AI agent can call process_security faster than any human can review: one bad instruction and it creates or modifies resources in Defense by the hundred, each call as confident as the last.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs process_security safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Defense, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For process_security, this is the rule to start with:
process_security stays usable, but capped: an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Defense, apply this rule, and every process_security call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about process_security
Processes: audit running, capabilities, namespaces, anomaly detection, cgroup limits. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Defense MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
process_security accepts 5 parameters: pid, action, filter, show_all, output_format. Required: action. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Defense MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for process_security: 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 Defense. Nothing to install.
process_security is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the process_security 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 process_security. 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.
process_security is provided by the Defense MCP server (defense-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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