Search topics
AI agents call search_topics to retrieve information from Github MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves or queries GitHub topics data without side effects. It is a search/query function that returns results but does not create, modify, delete, or execute anything. It poses minimal risk as a standalone read operation.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'search_topics' and description 'Search topics' indicate a read-only query operation. The context of sibling tools (search_code, search_commits, search_issues, search_repositories, search_users) all being read operations reinforces this.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Search topics. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Github MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Github MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_topics: 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 Github MCP Server. Nothing to install.
search_topics 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_topics 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_topics. 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_topics is provided by the Github MCP Server MCP server (parassolanki/github-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.
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