List exposed ports and service names for a given IP address.
AI agents call host_services to retrieve information from MCP-Censys without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool queries and retrieves reconnaissance information about network services running on an IP address. It performs passive information gathering through the Censys API without modifying, executing code, or triggering state changes. While the information retrieved could be used maliciously for reconnaissance, the tool itself is purely read-only.
From the tool's definition Tool 'host_services' lists exposed ports and service names for a given IP address. The verb 'list' and the read-only nature of querying service information indicates data retrieval with no side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access host_services gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and MCP-Censys, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for host_services:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"host_services": {}
}
}host_services is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
Free to start. No card required.
List exposed ports and service names for a given IP address. It is categorised as a Read tool in the MCP-Censys MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the MCP-Censys MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for host_services: 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 MCP-Censys. Nothing to install.
host_services 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 host_services 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 host_services. 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.
host_services is provided by the MCP-Censys MCP server (nickpending/mcp-censys). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from MCP-Censys, 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.
5 MCP-Censys tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.