Low Risk

github_list_issues

List issues for a repository

How to control github_list_issues ↓

AI agents call github_list_issues to retrieve information from Sage MCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Low Risk

This tool queries and retrieves existing issue data from a GitHub repository without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. It is a pure read operation with no side effects. The blast radius of misuse is minimal—an agent could only discover issues that already exist, which does not compromise security, data integrity, or financial systems.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'github_list_issues' and description 'List issues for a repository' indicate a retrieval operation with no modification or execution capability.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access github_list_issues gives an agent:

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Sage MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for github_list_issues:

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "github_list_issues": {}
  }
}

github_list_issues is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

  1. Create a free account and register Sage MCP — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
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Go deeper

What does the github_list_issues tool do? +

List issues for a repository. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Sage MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on github_list_issues? +

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

What risk level is github_list_issues? +

github_list_issues is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit github_list_issues? +

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

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

github_list_issues is provided by the Sage MCP server (sagemcp/sagemcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Sage MCP tool call.

Deterministic rules across all 359 Sage MCP tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.

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359 Sage MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.

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