Retrieve active and dropped scrape targets.
AI agents call get_targets to retrieve information from Prometheus MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves monitoring configuration data (scrape targets) with no side effects. It is a simple data retrieval operation that gathers information about which endpoints Prometheus is currently monitoring. This poses minimal risk as it only reads existing target configuration state without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any operations.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_targets' and description 'Retrieve active and dropped scrape targets' indicate a read-only operation that queries and returns target metadata from Prometheus without modifying any data.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Retrieve active and dropped scrape targets. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Prometheus MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Prometheus MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_targets: 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 Prometheus MCP Server. Nothing to install.
get_targets 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 get_targets 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 get_targets. 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.
get_targets is provided by the Prometheus MCP Server MCP server (moohoorama/prometheus-mcp-server-py). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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