AI agents call team_preferences_list to retrieve information from Slack without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves workspace team preferences without any side effects, modifications, or access to sensitive user data that would elevate risk. It is a read-only operation that returns preference settings, fitting the 'Read' category for data retrieval operations. Severity is low given that preferences are typically non-sensitive configuration metadata.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'team_preferences_list' and description 'Retrieve a list of a workspace's team preferences' indicate a query operation that fetches configuration data without modification.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Retrieve a list of a workspace's team preferences. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Slack MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Slack MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for team_preferences_list: 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 Slack. Nothing to install.
team_preferences_list 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 team_preferences_list 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 team_preferences_list. 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.
team_preferences_list is provided by the Slack MCP server (karbassi/slack-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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