Find all places where a function/class is used
AI agents call find_usage to retrieve information from MCP Code Analysis Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs semantic code search to locate references to functions or classes within a codebase. It retrieves and reports data (usage locations) with no side effects, state changes, or ability to modify or execute code. This is a pure read operation typical of code analysis tools.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'find_usage' and description 'Find all places where a function/class is used' indicate a search/query operation that retrieves usage information without modifying code or executing arbitrary operations.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access find_usage gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and MCP Code Analysis Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for find_usage:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"find_usage": {}
}
}find_usage is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Find all places where a function/class is used. It is categorised as a Read tool in the MCP Code Analysis Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the MCP Code Analysis Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for find_usage: 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 MCP Code Analysis Server. Nothing to install.
find_usage 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 find_usage 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 find_usage. 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.
find_usage is provided by the MCP Code Analysis Server MCP server (johannhartmann/mcpcodeanalysis). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from MCP Code Analysis 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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44 MCP Code Analysis Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.