read_secret

Read secret from Vault

SERVERNcp SOURCE@portel/ncp

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-portel-dev-ncp/read-secret.md

WHAT IT DOES

What read_secret does on Ncp

AI agents call read_secret to retrieve information from Ncp without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

RISK

Why read_secret is rated Low

This tool performs a read-only operation (retrieves data) with no side effects, placing it in the Read category. However, the severity is high because accessing secrets is high-risk if misused by an AI agent—an attacker could extract API keys, credentials, or other sensitive material that could compromise downstream systems.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'read_secret' combined with description 'Read secret from Vault' clearly indicates a read operation that retrieves sensitive data from a secrets management system.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs read_secret safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Ncp, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For read_secret, this is the rule to start with:

read_secret Allowed

read_secret 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": {
    "read_secret": {}
  }
}

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

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

FAQ

Questions about read_secret

What does the read_secret tool do? +

Read secret from Vault. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Ncp MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on read_secret? +

Register the Ncp MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for read_secret: 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 Ncp. Nothing to install.

What risk level is read_secret? +

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

Can I rate-limit read_secret? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the read_secret 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 read_secret completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for read_secret. 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 read_secret? +

read_secret is provided by the Ncp MCP server (@portel/ncp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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