AI agents call search-context-by-tags to retrieve information from Memory MCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
The tool performs a read-only search operation on archived context and summaries. It retrieves filtered data based on tags but does not create, modify, delete, or execute any operations. The blast radius of misuse is minimal—an agent could only access information it is authorized to search, with no side effects.
From the tool's definition Tool name contains 'search' and description states 'Search archived context and summaries by tags' — this is a query operation that retrieves data without modification.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access search-context-by-tags gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Memory MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for search-context-by-tags:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"search-context-by-tags": {}
}
}search-context-by-tags is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
Free to start. No card required.
Search archived context and summaries by tags. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Memory MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Memory MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search-context-by-tags: 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 Memory MCP. Nothing to install.
search-context-by-tags 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-context-by-tags 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-context-by-tags. 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-context-by-tags is provided by the Memory MCP server (jamesanz/memory-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Memory MCP, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
10 Memory MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.