search_course_materials

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why search_course_materials needs a policy

This tool retrieves or queries course materials based on a search string. It has no side effects, does not modify data, execute code, delete resources, or move money. It is a straightforward information retrieval operation typical of LMS search functionality, making it a Read category tool with low severity.

From the tool's definition Tool name contains 'search' and description states 'Search across all course materials by query string' — indicates retrieval/querying of existing data with no modification or execution capability.

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

POLICY

How to control search_course_materials

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

policy.json

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

search_course_materials 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 Moodle-MCP — 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 Moodle-MCP tools

Write create_implementation_plan Create a step-by-step implementation plan for completing an assignment, with timeline, res Read analyze_assignment Comprehensive analysis of an assignment: status, requirements, materials count, course pro Read ask_moodle Ask a natural language question about your Moodle data. Routes to the right data sources b Read daily_briefing Aggregated daily summary: overdue count, today's deadlines, recent grades, upcoming events Read decompose_task Break down an assignment into subtasks with estimated effort, dependencies, and critical p Read extract_assignment_requirements Extract and structure requirements, deliverables, constraints, and evaluation criteria fro Read find_relevant_materials Find course content and search results relevant to a specific assignment, ranked by releva Read get_actionable_tasks Returns prioritized list of tasks needing action, sorted by urgency (overdue first)

All 24 Moodle-MCP 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 search_course_materials

What does the search_course_materials tool do? +

Search across all course materials by query string. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Moodle-MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on search_course_materials? +

Register the Moodle- MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_course_materials: 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 Moodle-MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is search_course_materials? +

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

Can I rate-limit search_course_materials? +

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

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

search_course_materials is provided by the Moodle- MCP server (loyaniu/moodle-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Moodle-MCP tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →