create-container · Docker MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What create-container does on Docker

AI agents invoke create-container to trigger actions in Docker. 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 create-container needs a policy

Creating a Docker container executes a new isolated environment on the host, which can run arbitrary workloads, expose ports, mount volumes, and consume resources. This goes beyond a simple write operation because it triggers actual process execution. Misuse could lead to running malicious images, resource exhaustion, or network exposure. Severity is high given the blast radius of arbitrary container execution.

From the tool's definition "Create a new standalone Docker container" — instantiates and runs a new container process on the host system

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

create-container Rate-limited

create-container 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": {
    "create-container": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "create-container_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 Docker, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about create-container

What does the create-container tool do? +

Create a new standalone Docker container. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Docker MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on create-container? +

Register the Docker MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for create-container: 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 Docker. Nothing to install.

What risk level is create-container? +

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

Can I rate-limit create-container? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the create-container 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 create-container completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for create-container. 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 create-container? +

create-container is provided by the Docker MCP server (quantgeekdev/docker-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.