# spawn_shell Execute a shell command on a beacon Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `spawn_shell`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/mickeydb-cobalt-strike-mcp/spawn-shell ## Facts - Tool: `spawn_shell` - 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_shell", "arguments": {} } } ``` ## Why spawn_shell is rated High This tool allows execution of arbitrary shell commands on remote systems (beacons) without apparent constraints. In a red-team context, it can run commands with full privileges of the beacon process, potentially enabling lateral movement, data exfiltration, malware deployment, persistence mechanisms, or system compromise. Misuse by an AI agent could cause extensive damage across compromised infrastructure. From the tool's own definition: "Tool executes arbitrary shell commands on remote beacons. Description explicitly states 'Execute a shell command' with no restrictions on command types or parameters, enabling unrestricted code execution on compromised systems." ## Use case AI agents invoke spawn_shell 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_shell": { "limits": [ { "counter": "spawn_shell_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