save_course_sources · Metis Public Health MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What save_course_sources does on Metis Public Health

AI agents use save_course_sources to create or update resources in Metis Public Health — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Metis Public Health environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why save_course_sources needs a policy

The tool creates or modifies data (course sources) persistently in the user's local system. This is reversible (sources can be deleted or updated), making it Write rather than Destructive. The empty description reduces confidence slightly, but the naming pattern and context of a local-first research companion system clearly indicates data creation/storage functionality.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'save_course_sources' combined with sibling tools pattern (add_glossary_term, add_journal_entry, add_memory_entry, add_tracked_file, add_user_topic) indicates a write operation that creates or modifies stored data on the user's machine.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

save_course_sources Rate-limited

save_course_sources stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "save_course_sources": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "save_course_sources_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Metis Public Health, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about save_course_sources

What does the save_course_sources tool do? +

save_course_sources. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Metis Public Health MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on save_course_sources? +

Register the Metis Public Health MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for save_course_sources: 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 Metis Public Health. Nothing to install.

What risk level is save_course_sources? +

save_course_sources is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit save_course_sources? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the save_course_sources 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 save_course_sources completely? +

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

save_course_sources is provided by the Metis Public Health MCP server (sveritg/metis_ph). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.