Runs npm/pnpm/yarn install and returns a structured summary of added/removed packages and vulnerabilities. Auto-detects package manager via lock files (pnpm-lock.yaml → pnpm, yarn.lock → yarn, otherwise npm). Lifecycle scripts (preinstall/postinstall) are skipped by default for safety. Set ignore...
Risk signalsAccepts file system path (path) · High parameter count (15 properties)
Part of the Npm server.
Free to start. No card required.
AI agents use install to create or modify resources in Npm. Write operations carry medium risk because an autonomous agent could trigger bulk unintended modifications. Rate limits prevent a single agent session from making hundreds of changes in rapid succession. Argument validation ensures the agent passes expected values.
Without a policy, an AI agent could call install repeatedly, creating or modifying resources faster than any human could review. PolicyLayer's rate limiting ensures write operations happen at a controlled pace, and argument validation catches malformed or unexpected inputs before they reach Npm.
Write tools can modify data. A rate limit prevents runaway bulk operations from AI agents.
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"install": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "install_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}See the full Npm policy for all 10 tools.
These attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access install gives an agent. Each links to the full case and the policy that stops it:
Other write tools across the catalogue. The same approach applies to each: rate-limit and validate the arguments.
Runs npm/pnpm/yarn install and returns a structured summary of added/removed packages and vulnerabilities. Auto-detects package manager via lock files (pnpm-lock.yaml → pnpm, yarn.lock → yarn, otherwise npm). Lifecycle scripts (preinstall/postinstall) are skipped by default for safety. Set ignoreScripts to false if packages need postinstall scripts to work (e.g., esbuild, sharp).. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Npm MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Npm MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for install: 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.
install is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the install 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 install. 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.
install 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.
Deterministic rules across all 10 Npm tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
4,600+ MCP servers and 31,000+ tools scanned and risk-classified.