governance_kill_switch · VibeServe MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What governance_kill_switch does on VibeServe

AI agents invoke governance_kill_switch to trigger actions in VibeServe. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why governance_kill_switch needs a policy

This tool halts all agent operations system-wide, acting as an emergency stop. It triggers a broad operational change (disabling all agent activity) rather than deleting data, making Execute the best fit. However, the blast radius is critical: misuse by an AI agent would immediately and globally disable all agentic pipeline operations on the server, causing severe disruption to all ongoing work.

From the tool's definition Kill switch — disable all Big-Homie agent operations

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

governance_kill_switch Rate-limited

governance_kill_switch stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "governance_kill_switch": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "governance_kill_switch_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches VibeServe, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about governance_kill_switch

What does the governance_kill_switch tool do? +

Kill switch — disable all Big-Homie agent operations. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the VibeServe MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on governance_kill_switch? +

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

What risk level is governance_kill_switch? +

governance_kill_switch is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit governance_kill_switch? +

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

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

governance_kill_switch is provided by the VibeServe MCP server (ncsound919/vibeserve). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.