top_processes
Return top processes by memory, cpu, handles, or threads.
This record as markdown: /tools/mcp-control-plane/top-processes.md
What top_processes does on Mcp Control Plane
AI agents call top_processes 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.
Why top_processes is rated Low
This tool retrieves and displays information about running processes and their resource consumption. It performs no modifications, deletions, code execution, or financial transactions. The operation is purely informational with no side effects, making it a classic Read category tool with low severity.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'top_processes' and description 'Return top processes by memory, cpu, handles, or threads' indicate a read-only query operation that retrieves system metrics without modifying or executing anything.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs top_processes safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Mcp Control Plane, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For top_processes, this is the rule to start with:
top_processes is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Mcp Control Plane, apply this rule, and every top_processes call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about top_processes
Return top processes by memory, cpu, handles, or threads. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mcp Control Plane MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Mcp Control Plane MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for top_processes: 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 Mcp Control Plane. Nothing to install.
top_processes 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 top_processes 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 top_processes. 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.
top_processes is provided by the Mcp Control Plane MCP server (albertik322-sudo/mcp-control-plane). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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