AI agents call list_files to retrieve information from Openstudio without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
list_files has no side effects—it queries and returns information about existing files without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing anything. The absence of a description lowers confidence slightly, but the name and server context strongly indicate a Read operation. Severity is low because merely listing files poses minimal risk to model integrity or external systems.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_files' with no description suggests it retrieves or enumerates files, consistent with Read operations. The OpenStudio context (building energy simulation models) suggests file listing for model inspection.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_files gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Openstudio, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_files:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_files": {}
}
}list_files is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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list_files. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Openstudio MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Openstudio MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_files: 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 Openstudio. Nothing to install.
list_files 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 list_files 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 list_files. 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.
list_files is provided by the Openstudio MCP server (natlabrockies/openstudio-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Openstudio, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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146 Openstudio tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.