ps
Lists Docker containers with structured status, ports, and state information.
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-dave-london-github/ps.md
What ps does on Github
AI agents call ps to retrieve information from Github without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Why ps is rated Low
This is a read-only operation that queries and displays the state of Docker containers. It returns information about running containers (status, ports, state) but does not create, modify, delete, or execute anything. The blast radius is minimal—incorrect usage cannot corrupt data or trigger unintended actions.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'ps' and description 'Lists Docker containers with structured status, ports, and state information' indicates a query/listing operation that retrieves container metadata without modification or execution.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs ps safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Github, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For ps, this is the rule to start with:
ps is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Github, apply this rule, and every ps call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about ps
Lists Docker containers with structured status, ports, and state information. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Github MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Github MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for ps: 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 Github. Nothing to install.
ps 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 ps 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 ps. 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.
ps is provided by the Github MCP server (@paretools/github). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
More on Github, and thousands of servers like it.
This server
Across the catalogue