run_theharvester
A execute tool on the Pentester- MCP server.
This record as markdown: /tools/halilkirazkaya-pentester-mcp/run-theharvester.md
What run_theharvester does on Pentester-MCP
AI agents invoke run_theharvester 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_theharvester is rated High
TheHarvester performs active reconnaissance by executing queries and operations against external targets. This is an Execute-category tool because it triggers external operations (DNS lookups, web scraping, API calls) whose effects depend on the target argument supplied by the AI agent. While reconnaissance itself may seem passive, TheHarvester actively probes external systems.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'run_theharvester' references TheHarvester, a recognized OSINT/reconnaissance tool. Server description explicitly lists this as a penetration testing server enabling 'reconnaissance' tools.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs run_theharvester 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_theharvester, this is the rule to start with:
run_theharvester 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_theharvester call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about run_theharvester
run_theharvester 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_theharvester: 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_theharvester 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_theharvester 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_theharvester. 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_theharvester 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.
More on Pentester, and thousands of servers like it.
Across the catalogue