Show current pool status: paper counts by status, scan day, topics searched.
AI agents call pool_status to retrieve information from Paper Distill MCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and displays status information about the paper collection pool (counts, metadata, search history). It performs no mutations, deletions, or external operations. The sole action is querying and presenting current state, making it a straightforward Read operation with minimal risk.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'pool_status' and description states it 'Show[s] current pool status: paper counts by status, scan day, topics searched.' The verb 'show' indicates retrieval and display of existing data without modification.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Show current pool status: paper counts by status, scan day, topics searched. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Paper Distill MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Paper Distill MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for pool_status: 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 Paper Distill MCP. Nothing to install.
pool_status 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 pool_status 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 pool_status. 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.
pool_status is provided by the Paper Distill MCP server (pypi:paper-distill-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
pool_status is one line of Paper Distill's registry record.
The record carries the whole server: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, every tool classified, recommended policy — re-checked continuously.
Teams ship this data inside their own products. See what a licence covers →