AI agents call searchWhiteboards to retrieve information from Heptabase MCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
The tool performs a search query against whiteboards, which is a read-only operation that retrieves data without modification, deletion, or execution of code. The sibling tools (getCard, getCardContent, getWhiteboard, listBackups) further confirm this server is designed for data retrieval.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'searchWhiteboards' indicates a search operation. The server description states the service allows AI assistants to 'search, retrieve, analyze, and export data from Heptabase backups.' No side effects are described.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access searchWhiteboards gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Heptabase MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for searchWhiteboards:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"searchWhiteboards": {}
}
}searchWhiteboards is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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searchWhiteboards. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Heptabase MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Heptabase MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for searchWhiteboards: 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 Heptabase MCP. Nothing to install.
searchWhiteboards 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 searchWhiteboards 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 searchWhiteboards. 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.
searchWhiteboards is provided by the Heptabase MCP server (larrystanley/heptabase-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Heptabase MCP, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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14 Heptabase MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.