read_stream

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why read_stream needs a policy

This tool retrieves or queries data from an active stream connection without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing external operations. The verb 'Read' and qualifier 'recent entries' confirm it is a passive data access operation. No destructive, financial, or execution risk is present.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'read_stream' and description 'Read recent entries from a connection' explicitly indicate a retrieval operation with no modification or side effects.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access read_stream gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control read_stream

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and LiveTap, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for read_stream:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "read_stream": {}
  }
}

read_stream is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register LiveTap — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More LiveTap tools

Destructive delete_watcher Stop and remove a watcher. Destructive destroy_connection Destroy a connection — stops the source subscriber, cleans up the stream buffer. Execute restart_watcher Restart a stopped watcher. Write create_connection Create a data connection. MQTT: connects to a broker and subscribes to topics. WebSocket: Write create_watcher Create an expression-based watcher on a connection. The watcher evaluates structured condi Write update_watcher Update a watcher Read get_connection Get detailed status of a specific connection. Read get_watcher Get details of a specific watcher including conditions, status, match count, and config.

All 13 LiveTap tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about read_stream

What does the read_stream tool do? +

Read recent entries from a connection. It is categorised as a Read tool in the LiveTap MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on read_stream? +

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

What risk level is read_stream? +

read_stream is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit read_stream? +

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

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

read_stream is provided by the LiveTap MCP server (livetap/livetap). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every LiveTap tool call.

Start from LiveTap, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →