get_device_groups

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why get_device_groups needs a policy

This tool retrieves or lists existing device groups from NSO without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. It is a straightforward data retrieval function consistent with the Read category. The blast radius is minimal—at worst, an agent learns which device groups exist in the network, which is informational data.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_device_groups' and description 'Retrieve the available device groups in Cisco NSO' indicate a read-only query operation with no side effects.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_device_groups gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control get_device_groups

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Cisco NSO MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_device_groups:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "get_device_groups": {}
  }
}

get_device_groups is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register Cisco NSO MCP Server — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Cisco NSO MCP Server tools

Execute sync_from_device Sync from a specific device in Cisco NSO. Requires a Read check_device_sync Check the sync status for a specific device in Cisco NSO. Requires a Read get_device_config Retrieve the full configuration for a specific device in Cisco NSO. Requires a Read get_device_ned_ids Retrieve the available Network Element Driver (NED) IDs in Cisco NSO. Read get_device_platform Retrieve platform information for a specific device in Cisco NSO. Requires a Read get_device_state Retrieve the state for a specific device in Cisco NSO. Requires a Read get_service_types Retrieve the available service types in Cisco NSO. Read get_services Retrieve the available services in Cisco NSO. Requires a

All 9 Cisco NSO MCP Server tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about get_device_groups

What does the get_device_groups tool do? +

Retrieve the available device groups in Cisco NSO. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Cisco NSO MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on get_device_groups? +

Register the Cisco NSO MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_device_groups: 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 Cisco NSO MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is get_device_groups? +

get_device_groups is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit get_device_groups? +

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

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

get_device_groups is provided by the Cisco NSO MCP Server MCP server (nso-developer/cisco-nso-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Cisco NSO MCP Server tool call.

Start from Cisco NSO MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →