scout_back · Scout MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What scout_back does on Scout

AI agents invoke scout_back to trigger actions in Scout. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why scout_back needs a policy

Navigating browser history is a browser action that changes the state of the browser session and can affect what page/content is being interacted with. It triggers an external operation (browser navigation) whose effects depend on the current browsing context. While seemingly benign, in an AI agent context it can disrupt workflows, cause loss of form data, or navigate away from critical pages.

From the tool's definition Go back in browser history

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

scout_back Rate-limited

scout_back stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "scout_back": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "scout_back_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Scout, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about scout_back

What does the scout_back tool do? +

Go back in browser history. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Scout MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on scout_back? +

Register the Scout MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for scout_back: 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 Scout. Nothing to install.

What risk level is scout_back? +

scout_back is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit scout_back? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the scout_back 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 scout_back completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for scout_back. 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 scout_back? +

scout_back is provided by the Scout MCP server (lautrek/scout). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.