stats_sampling

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why stats_sampling needs a policy

This tool queries and extracts data for statistical analysis purposes. No side effects, data modification, deletion, or execution of external operations occur. The blast radius if misused is minimal: an agent could sample sensitive columns, but the data remains intact and unmodified. Classification as Read is appropriate.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Generate statistical samples from tables' — sampling is a read-only operation that retrieves a subset of data without modification or deletion.

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

POLICY

How to control stats_sampling

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 stats_sampling:

policy.json

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

stats_sampling 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

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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 stats_sampling

What does the stats_sampling tool do? +

Generate statistical samples from tables (random, systematic, stratified). 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 stats_sampling? +

Register the Postgres Mcp Legacy MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for stats_sampling: 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 stats_sampling? +

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

Can I rate-limit stats_sampling? +

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

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

stats_sampling 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 →