# read_file

Read a remote file as UTF-8 text with a byte limit.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `read_file`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/read-file

## Facts

- Tool: `read_file`
- Server: Mcp Control Plane (`albertik322-sudo/mcp-control-plane`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/albertik322-sudo/mcp-control-plane
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "read_file",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why read_file is rated Low

This tool retrieves file content without side effects. The byte limit prevents excessive resource consumption. While read access to arbitrary files could expose sensitive data depending on file system permissions, the tool itself performs only a read operation with no capability to modify, delete, or execute. Risk is low unless combined with other tools or deployed without proper access controls.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool name is 'read_file' and description states 'Read a remote file as UTF-8 text with a byte limit' — explicitly a retrieval operation with no modification, deletion, or execution capability."

## Use case

AI agents call read_file to retrieve information from Mcp Control Plane without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Mcp Control Plane:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "read_file": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Mcp Control Plane (285)

- `request_durable_task_cancel` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/request-durable-task-cancel.md
- `steam_rom_manager_cli` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/steam-rom-manager-cli.md
- `steam_rom_manager_nuke` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/steam-rom-manager-nuke.md
- `steam_rom_manager_remove` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/steam-rom-manager-remove.md
- `activate_window` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/activate-window.md
- `admin_run` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/admin-run.md
- `api_sentence` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/api-sentence.md
- `apply_unified_patch_remote` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/apply-unified-patch-remote.md
- `apt_maintenance` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/apt-maintenance.md
- `call_service` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/call-service.md
- `click` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/click.md
- `click_at` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/click-at.md
- `click_in_window` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/click-in-window.md
- `comfy_generate_from_asset` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/comfy-generate-from-asset.md
- `comfy_interrupt` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/comfy-interrupt.md
- `comfy_restart` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/comfy-restart.md
- `deck_exec` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/deck-exec.md
- `deck_probe` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/deck-probe.md
- `dns_test` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/dns-test.md
- `docker_compose` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/docker-compose.md
- `docker_container_action` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/docker-container-action.md
- `docker_exec` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/docker-exec.md
- `double_click` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/double-click.md
- `drag_to` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/drag-to.md
- `focus_window_win32` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/focus-window-win32.md
- `hold_key` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/hold-key.md
- `hotkey` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/hotkey.md
- `install_flatpak_emulators` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/install-flatpak-emulators.md
- `key_down` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/key-down.md
- `key_up` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane/key-up.md
- …and 255 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/mcp-control-plane.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=mcp-control-plane · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/mcp-control-plane