recent_spreads

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why recent_spreads needs a policy

This tool only retrieves and displays current market spread information (bid-ask spreads). It performs no writes, executions, deletions, or financial transactions. While it exists on a trading platform (Kraken Pro), the tool itself is purely informational and read-only. The low severity reflects that querying public/semi-public market data poses minimal risk even if misused by an agent.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'recent_spreads' and description states it retrieves 'Recent top-of-book spreads (bid/ask)' — a market data query with no side effects.

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

POLICY

How to control recent_spreads

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

policy.json

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

recent_spreads 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 Kraken Pro MCP — 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

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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 recent_spreads

What does the recent_spreads tool do? +

Recent top-of-book spreads (bid/ask). It is categorised as a Read tool in the Kraken Pro MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on recent_spreads? +

Register the Kraken Pro MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for recent_spreads: 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 Kraken Pro MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is recent_spreads? +

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

Can I rate-limit recent_spreads? +

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

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

recent_spreads is provided by the Kraken Pro MCP server (oilst/kraken-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Kraken Pro MCP tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →