Search for text or regex patterns within a file. Returns matching lines with optional context. More efficient than reading entire file when looking for specific content.
AI agents call search_in_file to retrieve information from OODA Computer Control without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and queries file content to locate matching patterns. It has no side effects: it does not create, modify, delete, or execute anything. It is a read-only operation. The low severity reflects minimal blast radius—an agent using this tool can only view file contents that may already be accessible to it.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'search_in_file' and description states it 'Search[es] for text or regex patterns within a file.
Risk signalsBulk/mass operation — affects multiple targets
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access search_in_file gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and OODA Computer Control, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for search_in_file:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"search_in_file": {}
}
}search_in_file is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Search for text or regex patterns within a file. Returns matching lines with optional context. More efficient than reading entire file when looking for specific content. It is categorised as a Read tool in the OODA Computer Control MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the OODA Computer Control MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_in_file: 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 OODA Computer Control. Nothing to install.
search_in_file is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_in_file 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 search_in_file. 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.
search_in_file is provided by the OODA Computer Control MCP server (mnehmos/mnehmos.ooda.mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from OODA Computer Control, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
99 OODA Computer Control tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.