Analyze the blast radius of changing a specific symbol (function, class, file) to verify downstream impact before making edits.
AI agents call cortex_code_impact to retrieve information from Cortex Hub without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
cortex_code_impact is a read-only analysis tool that examines code dependencies and impact scope. It retrieves and queries code structure information (via AST analysis implied by the server description) to help users understand consequences of potential changes. There is no execution, modification, deletion, or financial component.
From the tool's definition Tool performs 'Analyze the blast radius' and 'verify downstream impact' — this is analysis and querying of code relationships to understand effects before changes, with no modification or execution capability.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access cortex_code_impact gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Cortex Hub, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for cortex_code_impact:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"cortex_code_impact": {}
}
}cortex_code_impact is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
Free to start. No card required.
Analyze the blast radius of changing a specific symbol (function, class, file) to verify downstream impact before making edits. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Cortex Hub MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Cortex Hub MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for cortex_code_impact: 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 Cortex Hub. Nothing to install.
cortex_code_impact 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 cortex_code_impact 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 cortex_code_impact. 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.
cortex_code_impact is provided by the Cortex Hub MCP server (lktiep/cortex-hub). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Cortex Hub, 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.
25 Cortex Hub tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.