search_package

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why search_package needs a policy

The tool retrieves and queries package information from public registries without modifying, executing, or deleting any data. This is a straightforward informational lookup with no side effects or destructive capability.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'search_package' combined with description 'Search for packages in package indices' indicates read-only query operations against PyPI, npm, crates.io, and Terraform Registry.

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

POLICY

How to control search_package

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

policy.json

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

search_package 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 Pacman — 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 Pacman tools

Read docker_image_info Get detailed information about a specific Docker image Read package_info Get detailed information about a specific package Read search_docker_image Search for Docker images in Docker Hub Read terraform_module_latest_version Get the latest version of a Terraform module

All 5 Pacman 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 search_package

What does the search_package tool do? +

Search for packages in package indices (PyPI, npm, crates.io, Terraform Registry). It is categorised as a Read tool in the Pacman MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on search_package? +

Register the Pacman MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_package: 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 Pacman. Nothing to install.

What risk level is search_package? +

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

Can I rate-limit search_package? +

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

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

search_package is provided by the Pacman MCP server (oborchers/mcp-server-pacman). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Pacman tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →