search_tasks

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why search_tasks needs a policy

This tool purely retrieves and searches existing task data based on keyword criteria. It has no side effects—no data is created, modified, deleted, or executed. The search operation is a standard read-only query operation, making it the lowest-severity category.

From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Search tasks by keyword' and 'Returns matching tasks with relevance ranking.' These are query operations with no modification, deletion, or execution capability.

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

POLICY

How to control search_tasks

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

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "search_tasks": {}
  }
}

search_tasks is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

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

CAP THIS TOOL →

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EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Project MCP tools

Destructive delete_task Permanently deletes a task from todos/. Use with caution - this cannot be undone. Consider Destructive remove_from_backlog Removes an item from BACKLOG.md without promoting it. Use for tasks that are no longer nee Execute lint_project_docs Validates project documentation against standards. Checks for required files, valid frontm Write init_project Initializes the .project/ directory with all standard files following strict templates. Cr Write sync_todo_index Syncs the parent TODO.md file with all tasks. Generates a dashboard view with tasks organi Write add_decision Adds a single architecture decision record (ADR) to DECISIONS.md. Creates a structured ent Write add_roadmap_milestone Adds a milestone or phase to ROADMAP.md. Creates a structured entry with title, descriptio Write add_to_backlog Adds a single item to BACKLOG.md. Use this for quick task creation without bulk import. It

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Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about search_tasks

What does the search_tasks tool do? +

Search tasks by keyword in title, description, or content. Returns matching tasks with relevance ranking. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Project MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on search_tasks? +

Register the Project MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_tasks: 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 Project MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is search_tasks? +

search_tasks is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit search_tasks? +

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

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

search_tasks is provided by the Project MCP server (pouyanafisi/project-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Project MCP tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →