Get all tabs in the Jan Browser MCP tab group with their metadata (tabId, url, title, active status). Use this to see available tabs for browser automation. If no tab group exists but a tab is assigned for browser use, creates the tab group and returns info. Returns error message if no tab group ...
AI agents call browser_tabs to retrieve information from Search without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool only retrieves and returns existing tab information. While it may create a tab group as a side effect, the primary purpose is to query and display tab state. It has no capability to modify tab contents, navigate, close tabs, or perform other state-changing operations. The creation of a tab group is a minimal, reversible setup action. This is fundamentally a read/query operation with negligible blast radius.
From the tool's definition Tool retrieves tab metadata (tabId, url, title, active status) with no side effects. Description states 'Get all tabs' and 'see available tabs' - purely informational queries.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Get all tabs in the Jan Browser MCP tab group with their metadata (tabId, url, title, active status). Use this to see available tabs for browser automation. If no tab group exists but a tab is assigned for browser use, creates the tab group and returns info. Returns error message if no tab group and no assigned tab. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Search MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Search MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for browser_tabs: 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 Search. Nothing to install.
browser_tabs 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 browser_tabs 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 browser_tabs. 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.
browser_tabs is provided by the Search MCP server (search-mcp-server). 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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