Get all available need categories with descriptions.
AI agents call get_categories to retrieve information from Report Needs MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves metadata about need categories—it is a pure read operation that has no side effects, creates no modifications, executes no code, and performs no destructive or financial actions. The blast radius of misuse is minimal since an AI agent cannot cause harm by simply reading category descriptions.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_categories' and description 'Get all available need categories with descriptions' indicate a retrieval operation that queries and returns reference data without modifying anything.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Get all available need categories with descriptions. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Report Needs MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Report Needs MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_categories: 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 Report Needs MCP Server. Nothing to install.
get_categories 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_categories 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_categories. 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_categories is provided by the Report Needs MCP Server MCP server (pypi:report-needs). 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 →