backup_physical

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why backup_physical needs a policy

The verb 'analyze' combined with 'readiness and configuration' describes querying or inspecting the current state of backup systems. This is a read operation with no side effects—it gathers information about backup preparedness without triggering backup operations, modifying configurations, or deleting data. The low severity reflects minimal risk even if misused by an AI agent.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'backup_physical' and description 'Analyze physical backup readiness and configuration' indicate inspection and analysis of backup state, not modification or creation of backups themselves.

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

POLICY

How to control backup_physical

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

policy.json

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

backup_physical 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 Postgres Mcp Legacy — 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

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 backup_physical

What does the backup_physical tool do? +

Analyze physical backup readiness and configuration. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Postgres Mcp Legacy MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on backup_physical? +

Register the Postgres Mcp Legacy MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for backup_physical: 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 Mcp Legacy. Nothing to install.

What risk level is backup_physical? +

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

Can I rate-limit backup_physical? +

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

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

backup_physical is provided by the Postgres Mcp Legacy MCP server (neverinfamous/postgres-mcp-legacy). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Postgres Mcp Legacy tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →