Show default PDF directories and their status.
AI agents call list_default_directories to retrieve information from PDF MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves information about filesystem directories and their status—a read-only operation. It performs no writes, deletions, code execution, or financial operations. The blast radius of misuse is minimal; an attacker gains only knowledge of directory structure and status, not the ability to manipulate files or trigger external operations.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_default_directories' and description 'Show default PDF directories and their status' indicate retrieval and querying of directory metadata with no modification or side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_default_directories gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and PDF MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_default_directories:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_default_directories": {}
}
}list_default_directories is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Show default PDF directories and their status. It is categorised as a Read tool in the PDF MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the PDF MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_default_directories: 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 PDF MCP Server. Nothing to install.
list_default_directories 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_default_directories 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_default_directories. 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_default_directories is provided by the PDF MCP Server MCP server (sohaib-2/pdf-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from PDF MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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22 PDF MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.