Follow a UDP stream by index and return its ASCII payload.
AI agents call follow_udp to retrieve information from Mcp Wireshark without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and decodes network traffic data from an existing capture for inspection and analysis. It has no side effects on the system, network, or data—it merely extracts and displays information. The worst-case misuse would be exposing sensitive data contained in UDP streams, but this is an informational risk rather than an operational one. Classification as 'Read' is appropriate.
From the tool's definition The tool 'follow_udp' returns UDP stream payload for analysis purposes. The description indicates it 'return[s]' data without modification, creation, deletion, or execution of external operations.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access follow_udp gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Mcp Wireshark, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for follow_udp:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"follow_udp": {}
}
}follow_udp is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
Free to start. No card required.
Follow a UDP stream by index and return its ASCII payload. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mcp Wireshark MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Mcp Wireshark MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for follow_udp: 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 Wireshark. Nothing to install.
follow_udp 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 follow_udp 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 follow_udp. 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.
follow_udp is provided by the Mcp Wireshark MCP server (khuynh22/mcp-wireshark). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Mcp Wireshark, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
13 Mcp Wireshark tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.