issue_read
Get information about a specific issue in a GitHub repository.
This record as markdown: /tools/github/issue-read.md
What issue_read does on GitHub
AI agents call issue_read 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.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
page | number | — | Page number for pagination (min 1) |
repo | string | — | The name of the repository |
owner | string | — | The owner of the repository |
method | string | — | The read operation to perform on a single issue. Options are: 1. get - Get details of a specific issue. 2. get_comments - Get issue comments. 3. get_sub_issues |
perPage | number | — | Results per page for pagination (min 1, max 100) |
issue_number | number | — | The number of the issue |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why issue_read is rated Low
The tool explicitly fetches/reads issue details from a GitHub repository. This is a pure read operation with no modifications, deletions, or executions involved. Misuse potential is minimal as it only exposes existing issue data.
From the tool's definition 'Get information about a specific issue' — retrieves data with no side effects
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs issue_read safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and GitHub, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For issue_read, this is the rule to start with:
issue_read 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 GitHub, apply this rule, and every issue_read call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about issue_read
Get information about a specific issue in a GitHub repository. It is categorised as a Read tool in the GitHub MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
issue_read accepts 6 parameters: page, repo, owner, method, perPage, issue_number. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the GitHub MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for issue_read: 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 GitHub. Nothing to install.
issue_read 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 issue_read 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 issue_read. 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.
issue_read is provided by the GitHub MCP server (oci:ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server:1.3.0). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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