tool_manifest

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why tool_manifest needs a policy

This tool performs information retrieval by listing or describing available tools and their capabilities. It has no side effects, does not execute code, modify data, or trigger external operations. It is a purely informational/discovery mechanism similar to 'list' or 'get' operations, placing it squarely in the Read category with low severity.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'tool_manifest' and description 'Discover available tools and capabilities exposed by the server' indicate a query/discovery operation that retrieves metadata about available tools without modifying any state or triggering external operations.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access tool_manifest gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control tool_manifest

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Context Engine MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for tool_manifest:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "tool_manifest": {}
  }
}

tool_manifest is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register Context Engine MCP Server — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Context Engine MCP Server tools

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All 50 Context Engine MCP Server tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about tool_manifest

What does the tool_manifest tool do? +

Discover available tools and capabilities exposed by the server. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Context Engine MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on tool_manifest? +

Register the Context Engine MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for tool_manifest: 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 Context Engine MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is tool_manifest? +

tool_manifest is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit tool_manifest? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the tool_manifest 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.

How do I block tool_manifest completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for tool_manifest. 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.

What MCP server provides tool_manifest? +

tool_manifest is provided by the Context Engine MCP Server MCP server (kirachon/context-engine). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Context Engine MCP Server tool call.

Start from Context Engine MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →