inject_pth · Cobalt Strike MCP Server MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What inject_pth does on Cobalt Strike MCP Server

AI agents invoke inject_pth to trigger actions in Cobalt Strike MCP Server. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why inject_pth needs a policy

Pass-the-hash is an active attack technique that executes code/authentication using compromised credentials to gain unauthorized access to systems. It is part of a Cobalt Strike red team framework with 200+ offensive tools. The blast radius is critical: successful PTH injection allows privilege escalation and lateral movement across an entire domain/network without knowing plaintext passwords.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'inject_pth' and description 'Pass-the-hash attack' — this is a credential-based lateral movement technique that injects stolen NTLM hashes to authenticate as another user and execute operations in their security context.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

inject_pth Rate-limited

inject_pth stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "inject_pth": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "inject_pth_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Cobalt Strike MCP Server, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about inject_pth

What does the inject_pth tool do? +

Pass-the-hash attack. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Cobalt Strike MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on inject_pth? +

Register the Cobalt Strike MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for inject_pth: 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 Cobalt Strike MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is inject_pth? +

inject_pth is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit inject_pth? +

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

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

inject_pth is provided by the Cobalt Strike MCP Server MCP server (mickeydb/cobalt-strike-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.