cognitive_patterns

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why cognitive_patterns needs a policy

This tool reads and interprets data from the conversation embeddings index to surface cognitive patterns. No side effects occur—it does not create, modify, delete, or execute code. The sibling tools (bob_search, bob_thinking_trajectory, bob_recent) confirm this server's purpose is introspection and retrieval.

From the tool's definition Tool performs analysis of existing cognitive patterns and problem-solving approaches without modifying, deleting, or executing external operations. The verb 'analyze' indicates inspection and retrieval of insights from indexed conversation history.

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

POLICY

How to control cognitive_patterns

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

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "cognitive_patterns": {}
  }
}

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

Create a free account and register Brain — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Brain tools

Read bob_dropped Inspect what L1 filtered out. Optional reason filter (e.g. 'cc:build-log-paste'). Read alignment_check Check if a decision aligns with your principles. Read bob_conversations_by_date List all conversations active on a given date (YYYY-MM-DD). For each Read bob_health Report the state of Bob's local memory. Use this first if you don't know Read bob_recent Most recent turns within the last hours. Filter by src and/or role. Read bob_search bob_search Read bob_thinking_trajectory Chronological pass on a topic — first mention to most recent. Shows how Read bob_tunnel_state Reconstruct work-in-progress on a domain/topic. Returns the most recent

All 34 Brain tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about cognitive_patterns

What does the cognitive_patterns tool do? +

Analyze cognitive patterns and problem-solving approaches. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Brain MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on cognitive_patterns? +

Register the Brain MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for cognitive_patterns: 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 Brain. Nothing to install.

What risk level is cognitive_patterns? +

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

Can I rate-limit cognitive_patterns? +

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

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

cognitive_patterns is provided by the Brain MCP server (mordechaipotash/brain-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Brain tool call.

Start from Brain, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →