List all branches in a repository with protection status and commit information
AI agents call list_branches to retrieve information from GitHub Repos Manager MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and queries branch metadata from a repository without creating, modifying, or deleting any data. It has no side effects beyond returning information. The blast radius of misuse is minimal—an attacker could enumerate repository structure but cannot cause damage through this tool alone.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'list_branches' and description states it 'List all branches' with querying of 'protection status and commit information' — purely informational retrieval with no modification, deletion, or execution.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_branches gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and GitHub Repos Manager MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_branches:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_branches": {}
}
}list_branches is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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List all branches in a repository with protection status and commit information. It is categorised as a Read tool in the GitHub Repos Manager MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the GitHub Repos Manager MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_branches: 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 GitHub Repos Manager MCP Server. Nothing to install.
list_branches 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_branches 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_branches. 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_branches is provided by the GitHub Repos Manager MCP Server MCP server (kurdin/github-repos-manager-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from GitHub Repos Manager MCP Server, 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.
84 GitHub Repos Manager MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.