Retrieve the raw source code of specified files from within a known repository.
AI agents call read_code to retrieve information from Gread without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
name | string | — | Full name of the repository (owner/name) |
paths | array | — | An array of precise file paths within the repository |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
This tool retrieves or queries source code from public GitHub repositories without side effects. It matches the Read category definition: 'retrieves or queries data; no side effects (search, list, get, fetch).' The act of reading public source code poses minimal risk, as the data is already public and no action is taken upon it.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'read_code' and description states 'Retrieve the raw source code of specified files' — a retrieval operation with no modification, deletion, or execution of the retrieved code.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access read_code gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Gread, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for read_code:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"read_code": {}
}
}read_code is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Retrieve the raw source code of specified files from within a known repository. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Gread MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
read_code accepts 2 parameters: name, paths. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Gread MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for read_code: 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 Gread. Nothing to install.
read_code 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 read_code 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 read_code. 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.
read_code is provided by the Gread MCP server (nitrofire-q/gread). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Gread, 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 Gread tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.