gateway_ping_sweep
Run a ping sweep (a range of packet sizes) from an Aruba gateway (async, polls ~60s).
This record as markdown: /tools/hpe-networking-mcp/gateway-ping-sweep.md
What gateway_ping_sweep does on Hpe Networking
AI agents invoke gateway_ping_sweep to trigger actions in Hpe Networking. 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 gateway_ping_sweep is rated High
This tool triggers external network operations (ICMP ping commands) on a gateway device. While the effects are not destructive and no data is permanently modified, it is an active execution of commands that could disrupt network operations, consume bandwidth, or trigger security alerts if misused. The async polling behavior and 60-second runtime confirm this is a triggered operation, not a passive read.
From the tool's definition Tool description explicitly states 'Run a ping sweep...from an Aruba gateway', which executes network diagnostic commands whose effects depend on the target range and gateway specified.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs gateway_ping_sweep safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Hpe Networking, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For gateway_ping_sweep, this is the rule to start with:
gateway_ping_sweep 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 Hpe Networking, apply this rule, and every gateway_ping_sweep call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about gateway_ping_sweep
Run a ping sweep (a range of packet sizes) from an Aruba gateway (async, polls ~60s). It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Hpe Networking MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Hpe Networking MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for gateway_ping_sweep: 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 Hpe Networking. Nothing to install.
gateway_ping_sweep 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 gateway_ping_sweep 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 gateway_ping_sweep. 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.
gateway_ping_sweep is provided by the Hpe Networking MCP server (secure-ssid/hpe-networking-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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