AI agents call list_apps to retrieve information from Android Debug Bridge MCP 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 installed applications on an Android device without modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. It is purely informational and has minimal security risk—listing apps is a non-destructive read operation. The narrow scope (name pattern matching) further reduces blast radius.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_apps' and description 'List installed apps matching a name pattern' indicate a query/retrieval operation with no side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_apps gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Android Debug Bridge MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_apps:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_apps": {}
}
}list_apps is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
Free to start. No card required.
List installed apps matching a name pattern. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Android Debug Bridge MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Android Debug Bridge MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_apps: 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 Android Debug Bridge MCP. Nothing to install.
list_apps 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_apps 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_apps. 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_apps is provided by the Android Debug Bridge MCP server (tiagodanin/android-debug-bridge-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Android Debug Bridge MCP, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
9 Android Debug Bridge MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.