get_allowance

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why get_allowance needs a policy

This tool merely queries blockchain state to retrieve information about ERC-20 token allowances. It has no side effects, does not execute code, does not transfer funds, and does not modify any data. It is a straightforward read operation, similar to sibling tools like 'get_balance' and 'get_nft_info'. The low severity reflects minimal risk even if an agent queries this information unexpectedly.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'get_allowance' and description states 'Check the allowance' — a read-only query operation that retrieves the current spending allowance between addresses. No modification, execution, deletion, or financial transaction occurs.

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

POLICY

How to control get_allowance

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

policy.json

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

get_allowance 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 EVM MCP Server — 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 EVM MCP Server tools

Financial transfer_erc20 Transfer ERC20 tokens to an address. Uses the configured wallet. Financial transfer_native Transfer native tokens (ETH, MATIC, etc.) to an address. Uses the configured wallet. Financial approve_token_spending Approve a spender (contract) to spend tokens on your behalf. Required before interacting w Execute sign_message Sign an arbitrary message using the configured wallet. Useful for authentication (SIWE), m Execute sign_typed_data Sign structured data (EIP-712) using the configured wallet. Used for gasless transactions, Execute write_contract Execute state-changing functions on a smart contract. Automatically fetches ABI from block Read wait_for_transaction Wait for a transaction to be confirmed (mined). Polls the network until confirmation. Read get_balance Get the native token balance (ETH, MATIC, etc.) for an address

All 25 EVM MCP Server 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 get_allowance

What does the get_allowance tool do? +

Check the allowance granted to a spender for a token. This tells you how much of a token an address can spend on your behalf. It is categorised as a Read tool in the EVM MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on get_allowance? +

Register the EVM MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_allowance: 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 EVM MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is get_allowance? +

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

Can I rate-limit get_allowance? +

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

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

get_allowance is provided by the EVM MCP Server MCP server (mcpdotdirect/evm-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every EVM MCP Server tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →