List all VS Code .instructions.md files in the prompts directory.
AI agents call list_instructions to retrieve information from Mode Manager MCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool queries and returns a list of instruction files from a directory. It performs no modifications, deletions, or external operations. It is a straightforward read/list operation with minimal security impact—an AI agent could at worst enumerate available instructions, which does not expose sensitive data or cause harm.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_instructions' combined with description 'List all VS Code .instructions.md files in the prompts directory' indicates a retrieval operation with no side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_instructions gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Mode Manager MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_instructions:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_instructions": {}
}
}list_instructions is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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List all VS Code .instructions.md files in the prompts directory. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mode Manager MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Mode Manager MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_instructions: 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 Mode Manager MCP. Nothing to install.
list_instructions 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_instructions 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_instructions. 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_instructions is provided by the Mode Manager MCP server (niclasolofsson/mode-manager-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Mode Manager MCP, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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9 Mode Manager MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.