run_nikto_scan

What run_nikto_scan does on Pentester-MCP

AI agents invoke run_nikto_scan 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_nikto_scan is rated High

Nikto is a known web vulnerability scanner that performs automated reconnaissance and exploitation testing against web servers. Running it executes external security operations whose effects (network scanning, probing servers, triggering alerts) depend on target arguments and cannot be easily reversed. This fits Execute rather than Read because it actively performs security tests with side effects.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'run_nikto_scan' indicates execution of Nikto (a web server vulnerability scanner). Server description confirms Nikto is among 200+ penetration testing tools exposed via MCP, including 'web exploitation' capabilities.

The rule that runs run_nikto_scan 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_nikto_scan, this is the rule to start with:

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "run_nikto_scan": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "run_nikto_scan_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Questions about run_nikto_scan