scan_vulnerabilities

Trigger a vulnerability scan for specified CIs or groups. [Write]

SERVERNowAIKit — ServiceNow AI Toolkit SOURCEnowaikit

High RISK CLASS

Category Execute

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Rate-limitedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity verified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/nowaikit-servicenow-ai-toolkit/scan-vulnerabilities.md

WHAT IT DOES

What scan_vulnerabilities does on NowAIKit — ServiceNow AI Toolkit

AI agents invoke scan_vulnerabilities to trigger actions in NowAIKit — ServiceNow AI Toolkit. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

RISK

Why scan_vulnerabilities is rated High

Triggering a vulnerability scan is an active execution of an external operation (scanning infrastructure components), not merely writing data. It causes real-world effects (network probing, resource consumption, potential disruption) whose impact depends on the target arguments. Despite the server-provided '[Write]' hint, the action better fits Execute due to the operational side-effects of running a scan.

From the tool's definition "Trigger a vulnerability scan" — actively initiates an external scanning operation against specified CIs or groups

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs scan_vulnerabilities safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and NowAIKit — ServiceNow AI Toolkit, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For scan_vulnerabilities, this is the rule to start with:

scan_vulnerabilities Rate-limited

scan_vulnerabilities stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "scan_vulnerabilities": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "scan_vulnerabilities_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect NowAIKit — ServiceNow AI Toolkit, apply this rule, and every scan_vulnerabilities call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about scan_vulnerabilities

What does the scan_vulnerabilities tool do? +

Trigger a vulnerability scan for specified CIs or groups. [Write]. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the NowAIKit — ServiceNow AI Toolkit MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on scan_vulnerabilities? +

Register the NowAIKit — ServiceNow AI Toolkit MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for scan_vulnerabilities: 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 NowAIKit — ServiceNow AI Toolkit. Nothing to install.

What risk level is scan_vulnerabilities? +

scan_vulnerabilities is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit scan_vulnerabilities? +

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

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

scan_vulnerabilities is provided by the NowAIKit — ServiceNow AI Toolkit MCP server (nowaikit). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

KEEP EXPLORING

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