Search PubMed for biomedical articles. Supports full PubMed query syntax including field tags ([Title], [Author], [MeSH]), boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), and date ranges.
AI agents call search_articles to retrieve information from Mcp Pubmed without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and queries data from a public biomedical literature database without side effects. It is a search/retrieval operation that fits the Read category. Severity is low because misuse results only in unwanted search results, not unauthorized data access, financial loss, or damage.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'search_articles' and description states it 'Search[es] PubMed for biomedical articles' with support for query syntax and filtering. No modification, deletion, execution, or financial operations are mentioned or implied.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Search PubMed for biomedical articles. Supports full PubMed query syntax including field tags ([Title], [Author], [MeSH]), boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), and date ranges. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mcp Pubmed MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Mcp Pubmed MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_articles: 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 Mcp Pubmed. Nothing to install.
search_articles 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_articles 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_articles. 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_articles is provided by the Mcp Pubmed MCP server (petrefiedthunder/mcp-pubmed). 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.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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