AI agents invoke b_index_codebase to trigger actions in Heuristic. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
b_index_codebase triggers real processes with real consequences. An agent gone sideways doesn't fire it once — it starts dozens of builds, sends mass notifications, or burns through compute before anyone looks up.
Risk signalsBulk/mass operation — affects multiple targets
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Manually trigger a full reindex of the codebase. This will scan all files and update the embeddings cache. Useful after large code changes or if the index seems out of date. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Heuristic MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Heuristic MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for b_index_codebase: 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 Heuristic. Nothing to install.
b_index_codebase is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the b_index_codebase 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 b_index_codebase. 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.
b_index_codebase is provided by the Heuristic MCP server (softerist/heuristic-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.