list_all_lists

Lists all existing lists and their item counts. WHEN TO USE: - To see all available lists in the current session - To find a list ID you may have forgotten - To check how many lists exist

ServerPar5
CategoryRead

How to control list_all_lists ↓

WHAT IT DOES

What list_all_lists does on Par5

AI agents call list_all_lists to retrieve information from Par5 without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why list_all_lists needs a policy

This tool retrieves and displays metadata about existing lists (names and item counts) without modifying, executing, or deleting any data. It is a pure query operation used for discovery and inventory purposes, fitting clearly into the Read category with low severity since it only exposes information about the current session's state.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_all_lists' and description 'Lists all existing lists and their item counts' indicate a simple retrieval operation with no side effects.

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

POLICY

How to control list_all_lists

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Par5, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_all_lists:

policy.json

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

list_all_lists 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 Par5 — 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 →

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EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Par5 tools

Destructive delete_list Deletes an existing list by its ID. WHEN TO USE: - To clean up lists that are no longer n Execute run_agent_across_list Spawns an AI coding agent for each item in a previously created list. Agents run in batche Execute run_shell_across_list Executes a shell command for each item in a previously created list. Commands run in batch Execute create_list_from_shell Creates a list by running a shell command and parsing its newline-delimited output. WHEN Write create_list Creates a named list of items for parallel processing. Use this tool when you need to perf Write update_list Updates an existing list by replacing its items with a new array. WHEN TO USE: - To modif Read get_list Retrieves the items in an existing list by its ID. WHEN TO USE: - To inspect the contents

All 8 Par5 tools →

Read tools on other servers

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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 list_all_lists

What does the list_all_lists tool do? +

Lists all existing lists and their item counts. WHEN TO USE: - To see all available lists in the current session - To find a list ID you may have forgotten - To check how many lists exist. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Par5 MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_all_lists? +

Register the Par5 MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_all_lists: 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 Par5. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list_all_lists? +

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

Can I rate-limit list_all_lists? +

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

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

list_all_lists is provided by the Par5 MCP server (mathematic-inc/par5-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Par5 tool call.

Start from Par5, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

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8 Par5 tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.