find_references
AI agents call find_references to retrieve information from Ast Editor without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
The 'find_references' operation retrieves data about where symbols are used in code—a read-only analysis task with no side effects. Even though the description is empty, the semantic meaning of 'find references' is unambiguous: it searches and reports locations in an AST without creating, deleting, or executing anything.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'find_references' indicates a search/query operation that locates usages or references to code symbols.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
find_references. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Ast Editor MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Ast Editor MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for find_references: 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 Ast Editor. Nothing to install.
find_references 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_references 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_references. 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_references is provided by the Ast Editor MCP server (kambleakash0/ast-editor). 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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