AI agents call search_category to retrieve information from OpenStreetMap MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves or filters point-of-interest data by category without modifying, executing, or deleting data. It is consistent with Read-category tools on this geospatial server. The empty description is a minor confidence penalty, but the name and context strongly indicate a query/search operation.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'search_category' on an OpenStreetMap server suggests querying or filtering geographic data by category (e.g., searching for restaurants, parks, schools). The sibling tools are all Read operations (analyze, explore, find, geocode, get directions).
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access search_category gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and OpenStreetMap MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for search_category:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"search_category": {}
}
}search_category is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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search_category. It is categorised as a Read tool in the OpenStreetMap MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the OpenStreetMap MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_category: 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 OpenStreetMap MCP Server. Nothing to install.
search_category 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 search_category 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 search_category. 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.
search_category is provided by the OpenStreetMap MCP Server MCP server (jagan-shanmugam/open-streetmap-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from OpenStreetMap MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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12 OpenStreetMap MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.