spawn_net_time
Get time from target (spawn mode)
This record as markdown: /tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/spawn-net-time.md
What spawn_net_time does on Cobalt Strike MCP Server
AI agents invoke spawn_net_time 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 spawn_net_time is rated High
In Cobalt Strike, 'spawn' mode means the operation forks a new process (spawns a child beacon or sacrificial process) on the compromised host to execute the command. Even though retrieving time seems benign, the act of spawning a process on a remote compromised target is an Execute-level action — it runs code on the target system.
From the tool's definition 'spawn mode' indicates spawning a new process on the target beacon to retrieve time information; part of a Cobalt Strike red team operations server with beacon control capabilities
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs spawn_net_time safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Cobalt Strike MCP Server, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For spawn_net_time, this is the rule to start with:
spawn_net_time 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.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Cobalt Strike MCP Server, apply this rule, and every spawn_net_time call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about spawn_net_time
Get time from target (spawn mode). 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.
Register the Cobalt Strike MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for spawn_net_time: 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.
spawn_net_time is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the spawn_net_time 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 spawn_net_time. 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.
spawn_net_time 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.
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