AI agents invoke start_psexec_shell 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.
PsExec is a remote execution primitive that allows an agent to run arbitrary commands on Windows systems, potentially on remote hosts. This is Execute rather than Destructive because the outcome depends entirely on what commands are passed to it—it could be benign (list processes) or malicious (delete files, exfiltrate data, establish persistence).
From the tool's definition Tool name 'start_psexec_shell' explicitly invokes PsExec, a Windows utility that executes commands remotely on target systems.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access start_psexec_shell gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Pentester-MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for start_psexec_shell:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"start_psexec_shell": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "start_psexec_shell_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 10,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}start_psexec_shell 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.
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start_psexec_shell. 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 start_psexec_shell: 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.
start_psexec_shell 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 start_psexec_shell 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 start_psexec_shell. 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.
start_psexec_shell 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.
Start from Pentester-MCP, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
337 Pentester-MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.