federated_search

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why federated_search needs a policy

Federated search queries existing indexed data across multiple repositories. It retrieves and returns results but does not create, modify, delete, or execute external operations. This aligns with the 'Read' category for data retrieval with no side effects.

From the tool's definition The tool is named 'federated_search' and described as 'Search across multiple indexed repositories simultaneously.' The verb 'search' and the context of the Qdrant server (which 'Supports natural language queries') indicate a read-only operation that…

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

POLICY

How to control federated_search

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

policy.json

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

federated_search 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 Qdrant 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 Qdrant MCP Server tools

Destructive clear_git_index Delete all indexed git history data for a repository. This is irreversible and will remove Destructive clear_index Delete all indexed data for a codebase. This is irreversible and will remove the entire co Destructive delete_collection Delete a collection and all its documents. Destructive delete_documents Delete specific documents from a collection by their IDs. Write index_new_commits Incrementally index only new commits since the last indexing. Much faster than full re-ind Write index_codebase Index a codebase for semantic code search. Automatically discovers files, chunks code inte Write index_git_history Index a repository Write reindex_changes Incrementally re-index only changed files. Detects added, modified, and deleted files sinc

All 20 Qdrant 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 federated_search

What does the federated_search tool do? +

Search across multiple indexed repositories simultaneously. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Qdrant MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on federated_search? +

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

What risk level is federated_search? +

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

Can I rate-limit federated_search? +

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

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

federated_search is provided by the Qdrant MCP Server MCP server (mhalder/qdrant-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 Qdrant MCP Server tool call.

Start from Qdrant 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 →