AI agents use promote_table_to_memory to create or update resources in SAS MCP Server — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your SAS MCP Server environment.
Promoting a table to memory is a reversible data operation that modifies the state of data artifacts in the SAS environment (Write category). It has high severity because in an agentic context, unintended table promotion could consume significant memory resources, affect other users' workflows, or impact data governance controls—but it is reversible (hence not Destructive).
From the tool's definition Tool name 'promote_table_to_memory' indicates moving or converting a table structure into memory. Within a SAS Viya compute environment context, this represents data manipulation. The description is empty, limiting evidence specificity.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access promote_table_to_memory gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and SAS MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for promote_table_to_memory:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"promote_table_to_memory": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "promote_table_to_memory_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}promote_table_to_memory stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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promote_table_to_memory. It is categorised as a Write tool in the SAS MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the SAS MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for promote_table_to_memory: 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 SAS MCP Server. Nothing to install.
promote_table_to_memory is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the promote_table_to_memory 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 promote_table_to_memory. 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.
promote_table_to_memory is provided by the SAS MCP Server MCP server (sassoftware/sas-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from SAS MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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27 SAS MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.