setup_hooks · MCP Software Engineer MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What setup_hooks does on MCP Software Engineer

AI agents invoke setup_hooks to trigger actions in MCP Software Engineer. 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 setup_hooks needs a policy

Setting up Git hooks involves writing scripts to the .git/hooks directory and potentially executing scripts that run on git events. This is an Execute-level action as it installs executable scripts that will run automatically on git operations. It modifies the repository's hook configuration, which can affect all future git operations in that repository.

From the tool's definition Setup Git hooks for code quality

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

setup_hooks Rate-limited

setup_hooks 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": {
    "setup_hooks": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "setup_hooks_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 MCP Software Engineer, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about setup_hooks

What does the setup_hooks tool do? +

Setup Git hooks for code quality. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the MCP Software Engineer MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on setup_hooks? +

Register the MCP Software Engineer MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for setup_hooks: 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 MCP Software Engineer. Nothing to install.

What risk level is setup_hooks? +

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

Can I rate-limit setup_hooks? +

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

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

setup_hooks is provided by the MCP Software Engineer MCP server (rajawatrajat/mcp-software-engineer). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.