scan_start

Start a heavy scan in background; returns job_id immediately.

SERVERKali Security MCP SOURCEseac-25/kali-security-mcp

High RISK CLASS

Category Execute

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Rate-limitedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/seac-25-kali-security-mcp/scan-start.md

WHAT IT DOES

What scan_start does on Kali Security MCP

AI agents invoke scan_start to trigger actions in Kali Security MCP. 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.

RISK

Why scan_start is rated High

Initiates active network/system scans that probe external targets, a core penetration testing operation.

From the tool's definition heavy scan in background; returns job_id immediately

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs scan_start safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Kali Security MCP, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For scan_start, this is the rule to start with:

scan_start Rate-limited

scan_start 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": {
    "scan_start": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "scan_start_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Kali Security MCP, apply this rule, and every scan_start call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about scan_start

What does the scan_start tool do? +

Start a heavy scan in background; returns job_id immediately. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Kali Security MCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on scan_start? +

Register the Kali Security MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for scan_start: 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 Kali Security MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is scan_start? +

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

Can I rate-limit scan_start? +

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

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

scan_start is provided by the Kali Security MCP server (seac-25/kali-security-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

KEEP EXPLORING

More on Kali Security, and thousands of servers like it.

This server

All 194 Kali Security tools → High-risk tools on this server →

Across the catalogue

start_devtools_monitoring on Percepta MCP Server →team_manager_start_room on Team Manager MCP →run_emba_scan on EMBA-MCP → All high-risk MCP tools → The MCP Attack Database →

Guides

Govern code and CI agents →Agent sandbox →Least privilege for MCP →