retire_knowledge_article · ServiceNow- MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What retire_knowledge_article does on ServiceNow-MCP

AI agents use retire_knowledge_article to create or update resources in ServiceNow-MCP — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your ServiceNow-MCP environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why retire_knowledge_article needs a policy

This tool modifies the state of a knowledge article by marking it as retired/outdated, which is a reversible change to data. It does not irreversibly delete content (would be Destructive) nor does it execute arbitrary operations (Execute).

From the tool's definition Tool description explicitly states '[Write] Retire a knowledge article (mark as outdated)' - the action marks content as outdated/retired, which modifies knowledge article metadata and visibility without deleting the underlying record.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

retire_knowledge_article Rate-limited

retire_knowledge_article 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": {
    "retire_knowledge_article": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "retire_knowledge_article_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 ServiceNow-MCP, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about retire_knowledge_article

What does the retire_knowledge_article tool do? +

[Write] Retire a knowledge article (mark as outdated). It is categorised as a Write tool in the ServiceNow-MCP MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on retire_knowledge_article? +

Register the ServiceNow- MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for retire_knowledge_article: 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 ServiceNow-MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is retire_knowledge_article? +

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

Can I rate-limit retire_knowledge_article? +

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

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

retire_knowledge_article is provided by the ServiceNow- MCP server (tedorigawa001/servicenow-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.