Discover valid states and transitions for work item types
AI agents call discover_states to retrieve information from Azure DevOps 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 schema or configuration information about valid states and state transitions for work item types in Azure DevOps. It has no side effects—it queries existing metadata and does not create, modify, delete, or execute any operations. This is clearly a Read category tool with low severity, as discovering valid states poses minimal risk even if an AI agent calls it unexpectedly.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'discover_states' and description 'Discover valid states and transitions for work item types' indicate a query/retrieval operation that returns metadata about work item state configurations without modifying any data.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Discover valid states and transitions for work item types. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Azure DevOps MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Azure DevOps MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for discover_states: 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 Azure DevOps MCP Server. Nothing to install.
discover_states 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 discover_states 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 discover_states. 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.
discover_states is provided by the Azure DevOps MCP Server MCP server (jaybird-us/azure-devops-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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