describe
Describes a Kubernetes resource with detailed information.
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-dave-london-npm/describe.md
What describe does on Npm
AI agents call describe to retrieve information from Npm without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Why describe is rated Low
The describe operation is a standard Kubernetes inspection command that queries cluster state and returns information about resources. It has no side effects, does not create, modify, delete, or execute operations on the cluster, and presents only existing metadata and status information. This is a typical Read category tool with minimal risk.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'describe' and description 'Describes a Kubernetes resource with detailed information' indicate a read-only query operation that retrieves and presents information about existing resources without modification.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs describe safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Npm, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For describe, this is the rule to start with:
describe 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 Npm, apply this rule, and every describe call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about describe
Describes a Kubernetes resource with detailed information. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Npm MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Npm MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for describe: 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 Npm. Nothing to install.
describe 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 describe 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 describe. 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.
describe is provided by the Npm MCP server (Dave-London/Pare). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
More on Npm, and thousands of servers like it.
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