arachni_scan · Kali MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What arachni_scan does on Kali

AI agents invoke arachni_scan to trigger actions in Kali. 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 arachni_scan needs a policy

Arachni is an active web application vulnerability scanner that sends crafted HTTP requests to target systems, potentially triggering unintended side effects on those systems. It executes external security tooling whose impact depends on the parameters provided. While primarily a scanner (Read-like intent), active scanning constitutes execution of operations against external targets, placing it in Execute.

From the tool's definition 'Execute arachni with the provided parameters' — runs the Arachni web application security scanner against target systems; part of a penetration testing server supporting 'Web扫描' (web scanning)

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

arachni_scan Rate-limited

arachni_scan 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": {
    "arachni_scan": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "arachni_scan_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 Kali, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about arachni_scan

What does the arachni_scan tool do? +

Execute arachni with the provided parameters. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Kali MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on arachni_scan? +

Register the Kali MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for arachni_scan: 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 Kali. Nothing to install.

What risk level is arachni_scan? +

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

Can I rate-limit arachni_scan? +

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

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

arachni_scan is provided by the Kali MCP server (pentestt00ls/kali-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.