repo-view

Views repository details. Returns structured data with name, owner, description, stars, forks, languages, topics, license, and dates.

SERVERGithub SOURCE@paretools/github

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-dave-london-github/repo-view.md

WHAT IT DOES

What repo-view does on Github

AI agents call repo-view 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.

RISK

Why repo-view is rated Low

This tool only queries and retrieves repository information without modifying, executing, or deleting any data. It performs a pure read operation with no side effects. The low severity reflects that exposed public repository metadata poses minimal risk—an AI agent misusing this tool could only fetch information that is typically already public on GitHub.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'repo-view' and description 'Views repository details. Returns structured data...' indicate read-only retrieval of public repository metadata (name, owner, description, stars, forks, languages, topics, license, dates).

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs repo-view 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 repo-view, this is the rule to start with:

repo-view Allowed

repo-view is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "repo-view": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Github, apply this rule, and every repo-view call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about repo-view

What does the repo-view tool do? +

Views repository details. Returns structured data with name, owner, description, stars, forks, languages, topics, license, and dates. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Github MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on repo-view? +

Register the Github MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for repo-view: 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.

What risk level is repo-view? +

repo-view is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit repo-view? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the repo-view 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.

How do I block repo-view completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for repo-view. 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.

What MCP server provides repo-view? +

repo-view 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.

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