whatweb_scan · Kali MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What whatweb_scan does on Kali

AI agents invoke whatweb_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 whatweb_scan needs a policy

The tool executes WhatWeb, a web scanner that fingerprints websites and identifies technologies. While primarily a reconnaissance/read tool, it actively executes an external security scanning tool against targets ('Execute whatweb with the provided parameters'), placing it in the Execute category.

From the tool's definition 'Execute whatweb with the provided parameters' on a Kali Linux MCP server described as providing 'penetration testing and security assessment tool interfaces'

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

whatweb_scan Rate-limited

whatweb_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": {
    "whatweb_scan": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "whatweb_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 whatweb_scan

What does the whatweb_scan tool do? +

Execute whatweb 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 whatweb_scan? +

Register the Kali MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for whatweb_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 whatweb_scan? +

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

Can I rate-limit whatweb_scan? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the whatweb_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 whatweb_scan completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for whatweb_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 whatweb_scan? +

whatweb_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.