AI agents call list_knowledgebases to retrieve information from Knowledge without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves metadata about available knowledge bases without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. It is a straightforward read operation that lists available resources, consistent with safe information retrieval activities. The low severity reflects minimal risk even if misused, as it only exposes the names of knowledge bases without accessing their contents or causing side effects.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_knowledgebases' and description 'List all available knowledge bases' indicate a query/enumeration operation with no data modification or execution of external commands.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_knowledgebases gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Knowledge, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_knowledgebases:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_knowledgebases": {}
}
}list_knowledgebases is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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List all available knowledge bases. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Knowledge MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Knowledge MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_knowledgebases: 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 Knowledge. Nothing to install.
list_knowledgebases 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 list_knowledgebases 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 list_knowledgebases. 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.
list_knowledgebases is provided by the Knowledge MCP server (olafgeibig/knowledge-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 6 Knowledge tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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6 Knowledge tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.