AI agents invoke runSecurityScan to trigger actions in Azure Devops. 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.
This tool triggers execution of security scanning operations whose effects depend on the target repository and scan configuration provided as arguments. While security scans themselves are generally benign read-like operations, the tool's purpose is to execute (initiate and run) analysis processes, making it an Execute category tool.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'runSecurityScan' and description states it will 'Run security scans on repositories'. The verb 'Run' combined with 'scans' indicates execution of external analysis operations against code repositories.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access runSecurityScan gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Azure Devops, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for runSecurityScan:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"runSecurityScan": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "runsecurityscan_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 10,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}runSecurityScan 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.
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Run security scans on repositories. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Azure Devops MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Azure Devops MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for runSecurityScan: 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 Azure Devops. Nothing to install.
runSecurityScan is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the runSecurityScan 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 runSecurityScan. 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.
runSecurityScan is provided by the Azure Devops MCP server (ryancardin15/azuredevops-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 97 Azure Devops tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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97 Azure Devops tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.