Look up a BIC/SWIFT code and return full institution details including name, country, city, branch info, and LEI regulatory data. When to use: identifying the bank behind a BIC/SWIFT code for compliance checks, payment routing validation, correspondent banking lookups, or KYC enrichment. When NOT...
Part of the Ibanforge server.
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AI agents call lookup_bic to retrieve information from Ibanforge without modifying any data. This is common in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows where the agent needs context before taking action. Because read operations don't change state, they are generally safe to allow without restrictions -- but you may still want rate limits to control API costs.
Even though lookup_bic only reads data, uncontrolled read access can leak sensitive information or rack up API costs. An agent caught in a retry loop could make thousands of calls per minute. A rate limit gives you a safety net without blocking legitimate use.
Read-only tools are safe to allow by default. No rate limit needed unless you want to control costs.
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"lookup_bic": {}
}
}See the full Ibanforge policy for all 5 tools.
These attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access lookup_bic gives an agent. Each links to the full case and the policy that stops it:
Other read tools across the catalogue. The same approach applies to each: allow, with a rate cap to control cost.
Look up a BIC/SWIFT code and return full institution details including name, country, city, branch info, and LEI regulatory data. When to use: identifying the bank behind a BIC/SWIFT code for compliance checks, payment routing validation, correspondent banking lookups, or KYC enrichment. When NOT to use: if you already have an IBAN, use validate_iban instead — it resolves the BIC automatically as part of the validation. For sanctions/compliance screening, use check_compliance. Behavior: this tool is read-only with no side effects. It validates the BIC format (ISO 9362), then queries a local SQLite database of 121,000+ institutions sourced from GLEIF. For BIC11 lookups, if the specific branch is not found, it falls back to the head office (XXX suffix). Detects test BICs (e.g., MARKDEF patterns). Response time is under 10ms. Returns a single JSON object. Input: accepts BIC8 (e.g., 'UBSWCHZH') or BIC11 (e.g., 'UBSWCHZH80A'). Case-insensitive. Returns: { bic, bic8, bic11, valid_format, found, institution, country_code, country_name, city, branch_code, branch_info, lei, lei_status, is_test_bic } Example: input 'BNPAFRPP' → { institution: 'BNP PARIBAS', country_code: 'FR', country_name: 'France', city: 'PARIS', lei: '...', found: true } Example: input 'INVALIDX' → { valid_format: true, found: false } Example: input '123' → { valid_format: false, error: 'BIC must be 8 or 11 characters' } Cost: $0.003 USDC per call via x402 micropayment on Base L2.. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Ibanforge MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Ibanforge MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for lookup_bic: 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 Ibanforge. Nothing to install.
lookup_bic is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the lookup_bic 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 lookup_bic. 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.
lookup_bic is provided by the Ibanforge MCP server (ibanforge-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 5 Ibanforge tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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