# get_secret_scanning_alert

Get details of a specific secret scanning alert in a GitHub repository.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `get_secret_scanning_alert`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-secret-scanning-alert

## Facts

- Tool: `get_secret_scanning_alert`
- Server: GitHub (`oci:ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server:1.3.0`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/github.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade D, identity verified
- Server auth posture: gated
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 3
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `repo` | string | no | The name of the repository. |
| `owner` | string | no | The owner of the repository. |
| `alertNumber` | number | no | The number of the alert. |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "get_secret_scanning_alert",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why get_secret_scanning_alert is rated Low

This tool retrieves information about detected secrets without creating, modifying, or deleting data. It is categorized as Read because it performs a query operation. Severity is high because exposure of secret scanning alerts could reveal sensitive credentials and their locations in the codebase, enabling an attacker to locate and potentially exploit leaked secrets.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool name and description indicate 'Get details of a specific secret scanning alert' — a retrieval operation with no modification. However, the data retrieved is sensitive (secret scanning alerts contain detected credentials/secrets)."

## Use case

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

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches GitHub:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "get_secret_scanning_alert": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on GitHub (85)

- `delete_file` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/delete-file.md
- `projects_write` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/projects-write.md
- `actions_run_trigger` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/actions-run-trigger.md
- `assign_copilot_to_issue` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/assign-copilot-to-issue.md
- `actions_get` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/actions-get.md
- `actions_list` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/actions-list.md
- `get_code_scanning_alert` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-code-scanning-alert.md
- `get_commit` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-commit.md
- `get_copilot_job_status` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-copilot-job-status.md
- `get_copilot_space` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-copilot-space.md
- `get_dependabot_alert` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-dependabot-alert.md
- `get_discussion` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-discussion.md
- `get_discussion_comments` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-discussion-comments.md
- `get_file_contents` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-file-contents.md
- `get_gist` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-gist.md
- `get_global_security_advisory` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-global-security-advisory.md
- `get_job_logs` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-job-logs.md
- `get_label` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-label.md
- `get_latest_release` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-latest-release.md
- `get_me` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-me.md
- `get_notification_details` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-notification-details.md
- `get_release_by_tag` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-release-by-tag.md
- `get_repository_tree` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-repository-tree.md
- `get_tag` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-tag.md
- `get_team_members` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-team-members.md
- `get_teams` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-teams.md
- `github_support_docs_search` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/github-support-docs-search.md
- `issue_read` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/issue-read.md
- `list_branches` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/list-branches.md
- `list_code_scanning_alerts` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/list-code-scanning-alerts.md
- …and 55 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/github.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=github · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/github