Low Risk

get_first_object_id

get_first_object_id

How to control get_first_object_id ↓

What get_first_object_id does on Smithsonian Open Access MCP Server

AI agents call get_first_object_id to retrieve information from Smithsonian Open Access MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Low Risk

Why get_first_object_id needs a policy

This tool retrieves a single object identifier from the Smithsonian's 3+ million collection objects. No side effects, modifications, or destructive operations are possible with identifier retrieval. The lack of a description slightly lowers confidence, but context from sibling tools and the server's read-only nature strongly indicates this is a simple data retrieval operation.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_first_object_id' indicates retrieval of an identifier from the Smithsonian collection. Sibling tools like 'get_object_details', 'get_collection_statistics', and 'find_on_view_items' are all read-only retrieval operations.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_first_object_id gives an agent:

How to control get_first_object_id

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Smithsonian Open Access MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_first_object_id:

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "get_first_object_id": {}
  }
}

get_first_object_id is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

  1. Create a free account and register Smithsonian Open Access MCP Server — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
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Related tools and policies

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Questions about get_first_object_id

What does the get_first_object_id tool do? +

get_first_object_id. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Smithsonian Open Access MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on get_first_object_id? +

Register the Smithsonian Open Access MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_first_object_id: 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 Smithsonian Open Access MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is get_first_object_id? +

get_first_object_id is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit get_first_object_id? +

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

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

get_first_object_id is provided by the Smithsonian Open Access MCP Server MCP server (molanojustin/smithsonian-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Smithsonian Open Access MCP Server tool call.

Start from Smithsonian Open Access MCP Server, 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.

28 Smithsonian Open Access MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.

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