publish_status

THE RISK

Medium Risk

Why publish_status needs a policy

This tool modifies state (updates a status resource) and triggers notifications, making it a Write operation with cascading effects. It's not Destructive (updates are reversible), not Execute (no arbitrary code execution), and not Financial.

From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Updates demo://status' — a modification operation. The 'notifies subscribers' aspect indicates side effects beyond simple data change, affecting downstream systems.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access publish_status gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control publish_status

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and MCP from Scratch Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for publish_status:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "publish_status": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "publish_status_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

publish_status stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register MCP from Scratch Server — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

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All 12 MCP from Scratch Server tools →

Write tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server download_torrent YouTube MCP Server generate_video_title Android Forensics ADB MCP Server combine_reports 0xarchive web3_signup

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Argument validation → Checking tool call arguments against schema and policy before they run.
Scoped token → Per-person credentials that grant a defined subset of servers and tools.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about publish_status

What does the publish_status tool do? +

Updates demo://status and notifies subscribers. It is categorised as a Write tool in the MCP from Scratch Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on publish_status? +

Register the MCP from Scratch Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for publish_status: 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 from Scratch Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is publish_status? +

publish_status is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit publish_status? +

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

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

publish_status is provided by the MCP from Scratch Server MCP server (pguso/mcp-from-scratch). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every MCP from Scratch Server tool call.

Start from MCP from Scratch Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →