AI agents call codex_poll to retrieve information from Codex without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves status information about an existing job without modifying, executing, or deleting anything. It is a read-only operation that observes state, consistent with the Read category pattern of querying data without side effects.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'codex_poll' and description 'Check the status of a background Codex job. Returns current status, elapsed time' indicate a query/retrieval operation with no side effects.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Check the status of a background Codex job. Returns current status, elapsed time,. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Codex MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Codex MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for codex_poll: 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 Codex. Nothing to install.
codex_poll 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 codex_poll 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 codex_poll. 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.
codex_poll is provided by the Codex MCP server (pigowenhsiao/codex-mcp-server). 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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