AI agents call searchChannels to retrieve information from Telegram MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs a read-only search operation on Telegram channels/dialogs. It retrieves information based on search criteria but does not create, modify, delete, or execute any side effects. The low severity reflects minimal risk even if misused—an agent could only retrieve information about channels it has access to, with no ability to alter data or trigger actions.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'searchChannels' and description 'Searches dialogs by title or username' indicate a search/query operation that retrieves data without modifying or executing actions.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access searchChannels gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Telegram MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for searchChannels:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"searchChannels": {}
}
}searchChannels is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Searches dialogs by title or username. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Telegram MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Telegram MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for searchChannels: 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 Telegram MCP Server. Nothing to install.
searchChannels 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 searchChannels 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 searchChannels. 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.
searchChannels is provided by the Telegram MCP Server MCP server (kfastov/tgcli). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Telegram MCP 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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38 Telegram MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.