AI agents call list_groups 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 retrieves group information from ServiceNow using optional filters. It queries existing data without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing operations. The action is purely informational, making it a Read category tool. Severity is low because listing groups poses minimal risk—it only exposes organizational structure data without enabling harmful actions.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_groups' with description 'List groups with optional filters' indicates a query/retrieval operation with no side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_groups 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_groups:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_groups": {}
}
}list_groups is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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List groups 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_groups: 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_groups 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_groups 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_groups. 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_groups 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.