publish_service · Rosbridge MCP Server MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What publish_service does on Rosbridge MCP Server

AI agents invoke publish_service to trigger actions in Rosbridge MCP Server. 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.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why publish_service needs a policy

Calling a ROS service is an active operation that executes commands on a ROS-based robotics system. The effects are highly variable and argument-dependent — services can trigger robot motion, sensor configuration, state changes, or other physical/system-level actions. This is an Execute-category action with high severity because misuse could cause physical harm, equipment damage, or unintended robot behavior.

From the tool's definition 'Call a ROS service' - invoking a ROS service triggers external operations on a robotics system whose effects depend entirely on which service is called and its arguments

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

publish_service Rate-limited

publish_service stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "publish_service": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "publish_service_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

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

FAQ

Questions about publish_service

What does the publish_service tool do? +

Call a ROS service. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Rosbridge MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on publish_service? +

Register the Rosbridge MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for publish_service: 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 Rosbridge MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is publish_service? +

publish_service is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit publish_service? +

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

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

publish_service is provided by the Rosbridge MCP Server MCP server (takanarishimbo/rosbridge-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.