List knowledge articles with optional filters.
AI agents call list_articles to retrieve information from Snow without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool queries and returns knowledge articles from ServiceNow based on optional filtering parameters. It performs a read-only operation that retrieves existing data without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing anything. The low severity reflects minimal risk even if misused by an AI agent—it would simply return article data that is intended to be accessible.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_articles' and description 'List knowledge articles with optional filters' indicate retrieval of data without modification or side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_articles gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Snow, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_articles:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_articles": {}
}
}list_articles is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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List knowledge articles with optional filters. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Snow MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Snow MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_articles: 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 Snow. Nothing to install.
list_articles 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 list_articles 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 list_articles. 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.
list_articles is provided by the Snow MCP server (shunyaai/snow-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Snow, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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88 Snow tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.