power_control · Cimc MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What power_control does on Cimc

AI agents invoke power_control to trigger actions in Cimc. 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 power_control needs a policy

This tool triggers physical power state changes on a Cisco rack server — including forced power-off, hard reset, and BMC reset. These are irreversible in-the-moment operations that can cause immediate service disruption, data loss from ungraceful shutdown, and extended downtime.

From the tool's definition 'Control server power: on, off, graceful shutdown, power cycle, hard reset, or BMC reset. WARNING:'

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

power_control Rate-limited

power_control 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": {
    "power_control": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "power_control_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 Cimc, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about power_control

What does the power_control tool do? +

Control server power: on, off, graceful shutdown, power cycle, hard reset, or BMC reset. WARNING:. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Cimc MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on power_control? +

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

What risk level is power_control? +

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

Can I rate-limit power_control? +

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

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

power_control is provided by the Cimc MCP server (schwarztim/cimc-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

// THE FULL RECORD

power_control is one line of Cimc's registry record.

The record carries the whole server: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, every tool classified, recommended policy — re-checked continuously.

Teams ship this data inside their own products. See what a licence covers →