query_things

Read thing data. action: all (list all), get (by UID), status (status info).

SERVEROpenhab SOURCEdeswong/openhab-mcp

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/deswong-openhab-mcp/query-things.md

WHAT IT DOES

What query_things does on Openhab

AI agents call query_things to retrieve information from Openhab without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

RISK

Why query_things is rated Low

This tool retrieves or queries thing configuration and status data without creating, modifying, or deleting any resources. It has no irreversible effects and does not execute arbitrary code or trigger external operations. The blast radius of misuse is minimal — an agent could gather information about home automation devices but cannot control or alter them.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Read thing data' with actions 'all (list all), get (by UID), status (status info)' — all are read-only query operations with no modification or side effects.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs query_things safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Openhab, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For query_things, this is the rule to start with:

query_things Allowed

query_things 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": {
    "query_things": {}
  }
}

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

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

FAQ

Questions about query_things

What does the query_things tool do? +

Read thing data. action: all (list all), get (by UID), status (status info). It is categorised as a Read tool in the Openhab MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on query_things? +

Register the Openhab MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for query_things: 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 Openhab. Nothing to install.

What risk level is query_things? +

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

Can I rate-limit query_things? +

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

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

query_things is provided by the Openhab MCP server (deswong/openhab-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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