cli_route · Cli Orchestrator MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What cli_route does on Cli Orchestrator

AI agents invoke cli_route to trigger actions in Cli Orchestrator. 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 cli_route needs a policy

Although cli_route is nominally a routing/suggestion tool, it determines which external execution engine will process the agent's task. Since the sibling tool cli_execute clearly performs command execution, and cli_route directs tasks to execution providers, this tool functionally enables Execute-class operations.

From the tool's definition Routes tasks to external CLI providers (Claude, Gemini, Codex) that will execute code or commands. Tool itself is an orchestrator that determines which provider to use for execution, making it a control point for downstream code/command execution.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

cli_route Rate-limited

cli_route 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": {
    "cli_route": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "cli_route_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 Cli Orchestrator, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about cli_route

What does the cli_route tool do? +

Suggest the best CLI for a task based on agent role. Returns recommended provider with reasoning and fallback chain. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Cli Orchestrator MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on cli_route? +

Register the Cli Orchestrator MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for cli_route: 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 Cli Orchestrator. Nothing to install.

What risk level is cli_route? +

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

Can I rate-limit cli_route? +

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

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

cli_route is provided by the Cli Orchestrator MCP server (lleontor705/cli-orchestrator-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.