run_drc · Kicad MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What run_drc does on Kicad

AI agents invoke run_drc to trigger actions in Kicad. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why run_drc needs a policy

The tool triggers execution of KiCad's DRC analysis engine, which is a diagnostic operation that reads the PCB state and produces a report. It performs computation/analysis but does not create, modify, delete, or irreversibly change the PCB design. No side effects occur beyond generating validation output.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'run_drc' and description 'Run Design Rules Check (DRC) on a PCB' indicate execution of a built-in KiCad validation operation that analyzes design quality without modifying or deleting the PCB.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

run_drc Rate-limited

run_drc stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "run_drc": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "run_drc_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Kicad, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about run_drc

What does the run_drc tool do? +

Run Design Rules Check (DRC) on a PCB. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Kicad MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on run_drc? +

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

What risk level is run_drc? +

run_drc is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit run_drc? +

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

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

run_drc is provided by the Kicad MCP server (productofamerica/mcp-server-kicad). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.