Read a file from a GitHub repository at an optional ref and return decoded contents with file metadata.
AI agents call get_file_contents to retrieve information from Universal Mcp Toolkit without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves file contents from a repository without any side effects. It performs a read-only operation that queries and fetches data. No data is created, modified, deleted, or executed. The severity is low because unauthorized file reads, while a confidentiality concern, have limited blast radius compared to write/execute/destructive operations.
From the tool's definition Tool description explicitly states "Read a file from a GitHub repository" and "return decoded contents with file metadata". The operation is purely retrieving data with no modification, deletion, or code execution.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Read a file from a GitHub repository at an optional ref and return decoded contents with file metadata. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Universal Mcp Toolkit MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Universal Mcp Toolkit MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_file_contents: 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 Universal Mcp Toolkit. Nothing to install.
get_file_contents 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 get_file_contents 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 get_file_contents. 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.
get_file_contents is provided by the Universal Mcp Toolkit MCP server (markgatcha/universal-mcp-toolkit). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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