list_acls

List Access Control rules (ACLs) — who can read/write/create/delete records (requires SCRIPTING_ENABLED=true)

SERVERServiceNow MCP Server SOURCE@aartiq/servicenow-mcp

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity verified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/servicenow-mcp-server/list-acls.md

WHAT IT DOES

What list_acls does on ServiceNow MCP Server

AI agents call list_acls to retrieve information from ServiceNow MCP Server without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

RISK

Why list_acls is rated Low

This tool retrieves and displays existing ACL configuration data. While it does not modify data (making it Read rather than Write), it reveals sensitive security information about permission boundaries across the ServiceNow instance. An AI agent misusing this could enumerate access rules to identify privilege escalation paths or gaps. However, the impact is informational rather than destructive.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'list_acls' and description states 'List Access Control rules' — a query/retrieval operation with no side effects.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs list_acls safely

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

list_acls Allowed

list_acls is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list_acls": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

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

FAQ

Questions about list_acls

What does the list_acls tool do? +

List Access Control rules (ACLs) — who can read/write/create/delete records (requires SCRIPTING_ENABLED=true). It is categorised as a Read tool in the ServiceNow MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_acls? +

Register the ServiceNow MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_acls: 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 ServiceNow MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list_acls? +

list_acls is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit list_acls? +

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

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

list_acls is provided by the ServiceNow MCP Server MCP server (@aartiq/servicenow-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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