list_handles

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why list_handles needs a policy

This tool performs a read-only operation that enumerates active estimator handles. There are no side effects, no code execution, no data modification, and no destructive operations.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_handles' and description 'List all active estimator handles in memory' indicate a query/retrieval operation that returns information about existing in-memory estimator objects without modifying, executing, or deleting any data.

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

POLICY

How to control list_handles

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Sktime, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_handles:

policy.json

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

list_handles 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 Sktime — 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

Related tools and policies

More Sktime tools

Destructive cancel_job Cancel a running or pending background job. Destructive release_data_handle Release a data handle and free memory Execute evaluate_estimator Evaluate an estimator using cross-validation on a dataset Execute fit_predict Fit an estimator and generate predictions. Execute fit_predict_async Fit an estimator and generate predictions in the background. Execute fit_predict_classification Fit a time series classifier on training data and predict class labels on test data. Use w Execute fit_predict_regression Fit a time series regressor on training data and predict continuous target values on test Execute instantiate_estimator Create an estimator instance with given parameters

All 24 Sktime tools →

Read tools on other servers

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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_handles

What does the list_handles tool do? +

List all active estimator handles in memory. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Sktime MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_handles? +

Register the Sktime MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_handles: 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 Sktime. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list_handles? +

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

Can I rate-limit list_handles? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list_handles 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_handles completely? +

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

list_handles is provided by the Sktime MCP server (sktime/sktime-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Sktime tool call.

Start from Sktime, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →