run_dirsearch
A execute tool on the Pentester- MCP server.
This record as markdown: /tools/halilkirazkaya-pentester-mcp/run-dirsearch.md
What run_dirsearch does on Pentester-MCP
AI agents invoke run_dirsearch to trigger actions in Pentester-MCP. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Why run_dirsearch is rated High
dirsearch executes reconnaissance against a target web application—a core penetration testing operation with tangible side effects (network traffic, resource consumption, potential triggering of security controls). It is not merely a query tool (Read), as it actively scans and probes systems.
From the tool's definition Tool named 'run_dirsearch' on a penetration testing server (Pentester-MCP) described as executing '200+ open-source penetration testing tools'; dirsearch is a directory/file enumeration scanner that performs HTTP requests to discover hidden web endpoints.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs run_dirsearch safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Pentester-MCP, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For run_dirsearch, this is the rule to start with:
run_dirsearch stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Pentester-MCP, apply this rule, and every run_dirsearch call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about run_dirsearch
run_dirsearch is a execute tool on the Pentester MCP server. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Pentester-MCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Pentester MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for run_dirsearch: 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 Pentester-MCP. Nothing to install.
run_dirsearch is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the run_dirsearch 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 run_dirsearch. 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.
run_dirsearch is provided by the Pentester MCP server (halilkirazkaya/pentester-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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