# spawn_portscan

Perform port scan (spawn mode)

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `spawn_portscan`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/spawn-portscan

## Facts

- Tool: `spawn_portscan`
- Server: Cobalt Strike MCP Server (`mickeydb/cobalt-strike-mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/MickeyDB/Cobalt-Strike-MCP
- Risk category: Execute (High risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Rate-limited

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "spawn_portscan",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why spawn_portscan is rated High

Port scanning is an active network reconnaissance operation that spawns external processes and sends network probes to discover open ports on target systems. This is an Execute-category action with high severity because it triggers external operations against potentially unauthorized targets, is a core red team/offensive security capability, and could facilitate unauthorized access or be used maliciously.

From the tool's own definition: "'Perform port scan (spawn mode)' - spawns a process to conduct network port scanning"

## Use case

AI agents invoke spawn_portscan 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.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Rate-limited**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Cobalt Strike MCP Server:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "spawn_portscan": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "spawn_portscan_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Cobalt Strike MCP Server (219)

- `beacon_delete_file` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/beacon-delete-file.md
- `clear_beacon_command_queue` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/clear-beacon-command-queue.md
- `delete_credential` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/delete-credential.md
- `delete_listener` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/delete-listener.md
- `delete_listener_dns` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/delete-listener-dns.md
- `delete_listener_externalC2` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/delete-listener-externalc2.md
- `delete_listener_foreignHttp` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/delete-listener-foreignhttp.md
- `delete_listener_foreignHttps` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/delete-listener-foreignhttps.md
- `delete_listener_http` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/delete-listener-http.md
- `delete_listener_https` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/delete-listener-https.md
- `delete_listener_smb` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/delete-listener-smb.md
- `delete_listener_tcp` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/delete-listener-tcp.md
- `delete_listener_userDefinedC2` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/delete-listener-userdefinedc2.md
- `execute_kerberos_ticket_purge` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/execute-kerberos-ticket-purge.md
- `execute_socks_stop_all` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/execute-socks-stop-all.md
- `execute_tokenStore_remove` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/execute-tokenstore-remove.md
- `execute_tokenStore_removeAll` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/execute-tokenstore-removeall.md
- `kill_beacon` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/kill-beacon.md
- `reset_data` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/reset-data.md
- `beacon_change_directory` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/beacon-change-directory.md
- `beacon_copy_file` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/beacon-copy-file.md
- `create_listener` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/create-listener.md
- `create_listener_dns` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/create-listener-dns.md
- `create_listener_externalC2` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/create-listener-externalc2.md
- `create_listener_foreignHttp` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/create-listener-foreignhttp.md
- `create_listener_foreignHttps` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/create-listener-foreignhttps.md
- `create_listener_http` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/create-listener-http.md
- `create_listener_https` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/create-listener-https.md
- `create_listener_smb` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/create-listener-smb.md
- `create_listener_tcp` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/create-listener-tcp.md
- …and 189 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp