sentinel_restart · SentinelX Core MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What sentinel_restart does on SentinelX Core MCP

AI agents invoke sentinel_restart to trigger actions in SentinelX Core MCP. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why sentinel_restart needs a policy

This tool executes a restart operation on services, which is an irreversible state-changing action that affects system availability and operation. While not destructive in the sense of data loss, restarting services can cause downtime, interrupt active operations, and potentially cascade failures.

From the tool's definition Restart an allowed service through SentinelX (/restart) - the tool triggers an external operation (service restart) whose effects depend on which service is targeted as an argument.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

sentinel_restart Rate-limited

sentinel_restart stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "sentinel_restart": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "sentinel_restart_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches SentinelX Core MCP, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about sentinel_restart

What does the sentinel_restart tool do? +

Restart an allowed service through SentinelX (/restart). It is categorised as a Execute tool in the SentinelX Core MCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on sentinel_restart? +

Register the SentinelX Core MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for sentinel_restart: 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 SentinelX Core MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is sentinel_restart? +

sentinel_restart is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit sentinel_restart? +

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

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

sentinel_restart is provided by the SentinelX Core MCP server (pensados/sentinelx-core-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.