herald_test

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why herald_test needs a policy

The tool generates and returns a code snippet for testing purposes. It does not execute the code, send actual notifications, or modify any data — it simply produces ready-to-run code that the user can then choose to run. This is fundamentally a read/fetch operation returning generated content.

From the tool's definition Generate a test notification code snippet... Returns ready-to-run code for testing your notifykit setup

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access herald_test gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control herald_test

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Clocktower, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for herald_test:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "herald_test": {}
  }
}

herald_test is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register Clocktower — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

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Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about herald_test

What does the herald_test tool do? +

Generate a test notification code snippet for a specific channel. Returns ready-to-run code for testing your notifykit setup. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Clocktower MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on herald_test? +

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

What risk level is herald_test? +

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

Can I rate-limit herald_test? +

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

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

herald_test is provided by the Clocktower MCP server (sathergate/sathergate-toolkit). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Clocktower tool call.

Start from Clocktower, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →