Critical Risk →

repair_index

Apply a targeted repair to the local SQLite index. Modes: drop-orphans (delete embedding rows whose symbol_id no longer exists), drop-vec (drop the entire vector store — search falls back to BM25; embed_repo rebuilds), rebuild-fts (drop and reload symbols_fts from the symbols table). Each mode ru...

How to control repair_index ↓

AI agents call repair_index to permanently remove resources in Trace — typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.

Critical Risk

The tool performs irreversible data deletion operations (DROP, DELETE) on a local SQLite index. While wrapped in transactions to prevent partial failures, the core operations—dropping embedding rows, dropping vector stores, and dropping/reloading full-text search tables—are all destructive and cannot be undone without a backup. The tool's own documentation explicitly labels it DESTRUCTIVE.

From the tool's definition 'DESTRUCTIVE — verify_index first', 'drop-orphans (delete embedding rows...)', 'drop the entire vector store', 'drop and reload symbols_fts from the symbols table'

Risk signalsBulk/mass operation — affects multiple targets

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access repair_index 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 repair_index:

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "hide": [
    "repair_index"
  ]
}

repair_index disappears from the agent's tool list entirely, and any attempt to call it is denied. The rest of the server keeps working.

  1. Create a free account and register Trace — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
RESTRICT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

Go deeper

What does the repair_index tool do? +

Apply a targeted repair to the local SQLite index. Modes: drop-orphans (delete embedding rows whose symbol_id no longer exists), drop-vec (drop the entire vector store — search falls back to BM25; embed_repo rebuilds), rebuild-fts (drop and reload symbols_fts from the symbols table). Each mode runs in a transaction so a partial failure leaves the DB unchanged. DESTRUCTIVE — verify_index first to find out which mode is needed. Returns JSON: { mode, ok, detail, affected }. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Trace MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.

How do I enforce a policy on repair_index? +

Register the Trace MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for repair_index: 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.

What risk level is repair_index? +

repair_index is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.

Can I rate-limit repair_index? +

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

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

repair_index 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.

Enforce policy on every Trace tool call.

Deterministic rules across all 178 Trace tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.

Free to start. No card required.

178 Trace tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.

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