Identify long-running transactions that may be holding locks or bloating tables.
AI agents call PostgreSQL_get_long_running_transactions to retrieve information from Postgres without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool queries PostgreSQL system catalogs to report on active transactions and their characteristics. It is a read-only diagnostic operation with no side effects. While the information could theoretically be used to inform destructive actions, the tool itself only retrieves and reports data. No data is modified, deleted, or executed as a result of calling this tool.
From the tool's definition Tool name and description indicate 'Identify long-running transactions' — a query/diagnostic operation that retrieves transaction metadata without modifying or executing arbitrary code.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access PostgreSQL_get_long_running_transactions gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Postgres, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for PostgreSQL_get_long_running_transactions:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"PostgreSQL_get_long_running_transactions": {}
}
}PostgreSQL_get_long_running_transactions is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Identify long-running transactions that may be holding locks or bloating tables. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Postgres MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Postgres MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for PostgreSQL_get_long_running_transactions: 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 Postgres. Nothing to install.
PostgreSQL_get_long_running_transactions 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 PostgreSQL_get_long_running_transactions 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 PostgreSQL_get_long_running_transactions. 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.
PostgreSQL_get_long_running_transactions is provided by the Postgres MCP server (mukul975/postgres-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Postgres, 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.
239 Postgres tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.