List directory contents with metadata (name, size, dates, type). Paths relative to home directory.
AI agents call files.list to retrieve information from Orchard 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 directory contents without modifying, deleting, or executing anything. It returns metadata only and has no side effects. This is a standard Read category operation with low severity since it only exposes filesystem metadata accessible to the user running the MCP server.
From the tool's definition Tool description states 'List directory contents with metadata' and sibling tools include other clearly read-only operations like calendar.list_calendars, calendar.list_events, contacts.read_contact, and contacts.search.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access files.list gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Orchard, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for files.list:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"files.list": {}
}
}files.list is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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List directory contents with metadata (name, size, dates, type). Paths relative to home directory. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Orchard MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Orchard MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for files.list: 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 Orchard. Nothing to install.
files.list 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 files.list 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 files.list. 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.
files.list is provided by the Orchard MCP server (l22-io/orchard-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Orchard, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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65 Orchard tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.