Get a list of states for a country for address verification
AI agents call list_states to retrieve information from Paystack without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves reference data (state lists) for address verification purposes. It performs no write, execute, destructive, or financial operations. The query is informational and read-only, with minimal risk even if misused by an AI agent—worst case being incorrect address data used in downstream operations.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_states' and description 'Get a list of states for a country' indicates data retrieval with no modification. The verb 'Get' and the read-only nature of querying state lists for address verification confirm this is a passive data query.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_states gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Paystack, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_states:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_states": {}
}
}list_states is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get a list of states for a country for address verification. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Paystack MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Paystack MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_states: 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 Paystack. Nothing to install.
list_states 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 list_states 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 list_states. 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.
list_states is provided by the Paystack MCP server (kohasummons/paystack-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Paystack, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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28 Paystack tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.