list_catalog_items

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why list_catalog_items needs a policy

This tool retrieves and displays catalog items from ServiceNow's Service Catalog. It is a read-only operation that queries data without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any actions. The blast radius of misuse is minimal—an agent could list catalog information repeatedly but cannot cause harm beyond information disclosure or performance impact.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_catalog_items' and description 'Lists available items from the Service Catalog' indicate a query/retrieval operation with no modification or side effects.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_catalog_items gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control list_catalog_items

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_catalog_items:

policy.json

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

list_catalog_items is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register Snow — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

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EXPLORE

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Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about list_catalog_items

What does the list_catalog_items tool do? +

Lists available items from the Service Catalog. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Snow MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_catalog_items? +

Register the Snow MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_catalog_items: 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.

What risk level is list_catalog_items? +

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

Can I rate-limit list_catalog_items? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list_catalog_items 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_catalog_items completely? +

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

list_catalog_items 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.

Enforce policy on every Snow tool call.

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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