Lists all databases in the workspace
AI agents call list-databases to retrieve information from Nile without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs a query operation to enumerate databases. It has no side effects, does not execute code, does not delete or modify data, and does not involve financial transactions. It is purely informational retrieval, making it a Read category tool with low severity since listing databases poses minimal risk even if misused by an AI agent.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'list-databases' and description states it 'Lists all databases in the workspace', indicating a read-only operation that retrieves information without modifying or deleting data.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list-databases gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Nile, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list-databases:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list-databases": {}
}
}list-databases is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Lists all databases in the workspace. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Nile MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Nile MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list-databases: 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 Nile. Nothing to install.
list-databases 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-databases 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-databases. 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-databases is provided by the Nile MCP server (@niledatabase/nile-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Nile, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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11 Nile tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.