Find files that frequently change together in git history (temporal coupling). Requires git. Use to discover hidden dependencies between files. For cross-module co-change anomalies use detect_drift instead. Read-only. Returns JSON: { file, coChanges: [{ file, confidence, count }] }.
AI agents call get_co_changes to retrieve information from Trace without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and analyzes historical metadata from git to identify temporal coupling patterns between files. It performs a query operation on existing git data with no capability to modify, delete, or execute code. The severity is low because reading git history poses minimal risk—an agent cannot misuse this to harm systems or data.
From the tool's definition The tool description explicitly states 'Read-only' and the functionality is 'Find files that frequently change together in git history'. It 'Returns JSON' with analysis data and has no side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_co_changes gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Trace, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_co_changes:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_co_changes": {}
}
}get_co_changes is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Find files that frequently change together in git history (temporal coupling). Requires git. Use to discover hidden dependencies between files. For cross-module co-change anomalies use detect_drift instead. Read-only. Returns JSON: { file, coChanges: [{ file, confidence, count }] }. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Trace MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Trace MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_co_changes: 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 Trace. Nothing to install.
get_co_changes 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 get_co_changes 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 get_co_changes. 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.
get_co_changes is provided by the Trace MCP server (nikolai-vysotskyi/trace-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 178 Trace tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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178 Trace tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.