Quick search focused on discovering subdomains and hosts for a domain.
AI agents call theharvester_hosts to retrieve information from theHarvester 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 and queries network reconnaissance data (subdomains, host information) from public sources without causing side effects, reversible changes, or destructive actions. It is pure reconnaissance/enumeration. Categorized as Read. Severity is medium because OSINT reconnaissance can facilitate follow-on attacks, creating reconnaissance risk despite being passive and informational in nature.
From the tool's definition Tool is described as performing 'discovery' of 'subdomains and hosts' using theHarvester OSINT tool. The theHarvester documentation confirms this tool performs passive reconnaissance queries that retrieve publicly available DNS and host information without…
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Quick search focused on discovering subdomains and hosts for a domain. It is categorised as a Read tool in the theHarvester MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the theHarvester MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for theharvester_hosts: 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 theHarvester MCP Server. Nothing to install.
theharvester_hosts 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 theharvester_hosts 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 theharvester_hosts. 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.
theharvester_hosts is provided by the theHarvester MCP Server MCP server (schwarztim/sec-theharvester-mcp). 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.
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