Search for Skills by keyword, with optional category filtering. Returns a list of matching skills.\n\nUse cases:\n- When looking for skills in a specific domain\n- When unsure what skill is needed but have a general direction
AI agents call search_skills to retrieve information from skill4agent MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool only searches and retrieves information about available AI skills without making any changes to data or executing operations. It is a read-only operation with minimal security risk, suitable for informational queries in an AI skill marketplace context.
From the tool's definition Tool description states it "Search[es] for Skills by keyword" and "Returns a list of matching skills" - purely query and retrieval operations with no modification, deletion, or execution of code.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Search for Skills by keyword, with optional category filtering. Returns a list of matching skills.\n\nUse cases:\n- When looking for skills in a specific domain\n- When unsure what skill is needed but have a general direction. It is categorised as a Read tool in the skill4agent MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the skill4agent MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_skills: 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 skill4agent MCP Server. Nothing to install.
search_skills 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 search_skills 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 search_skills. 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.
search_skills is provided by the skill4agent MCP Server MCP server (osulivan/skill4agent-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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