Retrieve similar reasoning patterns
AI agents call retrieve-reasoning to retrieve information from Claude Flow without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This is fundamentally a Read operation: it queries and retrieves data (reasoning patterns) without side effects. Severity is medium rather than low because reasoning patterns in an AI orchestration system may contain sensitive logic, decision trees, or patterns that could inform adversarial attacks if exfiltrated at scale.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'retrieve-reasoning' and description states 'Retrieve similar reasoning patterns' — a data retrieval operation with no modification or execution of external systems.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Retrieve similar reasoning patterns. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Claude Flow MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Claude Flow MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for retrieve-reasoning: 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 Claude Flow. Nothing to install.
retrieve-reasoning 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 retrieve-reasoning 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 retrieve-reasoning. 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.
retrieve-reasoning is provided by the Claude Flow MCP server (claude-flow). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.