Returns a list of recent WhatsApp chats including chat ID, name, unread count, and last message preview.
AI agents call get_chats to retrieve information from WhatsApp MCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This is a read-only query operation that retrieves chat list information without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any actions. The low severity reflects minimal blast radius — an agent retrieving chat metadata poses no risk of data loss, financial impact, or system compromise. The high confidence reflects the unambiguous read nature of the tool.
From the tool's definition Tool description explicitly states it 'Returns a list of recent WhatsApp chats' — a retrieval operation with no modification. The returned data includes metadata (chat ID, name, unread count, message preview) with no side effects.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Returns a list of recent WhatsApp chats including chat ID, name, unread count, and last message preview. It is categorised as a Read tool in the WhatsApp MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the WhatsApp MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_chats: 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 WhatsApp MCP. Nothing to install.
get_chats 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 get_chats 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 get_chats. 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.
get_chats is provided by the WhatsApp MCP server (ponmanian-sa/whatsapp_mcp). 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.
Teams ship this data inside their own products. See what a licence covers →