Low Risk

get_post

Get comprehensive details about a HackerNews post including metadata and comments

How to control get_post ↓

What get_post does on HackerNews MCP Server

AI agents call get_post to retrieve information from HackerNews MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Low Risk

Why get_post needs a policy

This tool queries and returns information from HackerNews without modifying any data or triggering external operations. It is purely informational in nature, making it a Read category tool with low severity since the blast radius of misuse is minimal—an AI agent could retrieve posts but cannot alter, delete, or execute actions.

From the tool's definition Tool retrieves comprehensive details about a HackerNews post including metadata and comments. The verb 'get' and 'retrieve' indicate read-only access. No modification, deletion, or execution is described.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_post gives an agent:

How to control get_post

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and HackerNews MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_post:

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "get_post": {}
  }
}

get_post is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

  1. Create a free account and register HackerNews MCP Server — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

Related tools and policies

Go deeper

Questions about get_post

What does the get_post tool do? +

Get comprehensive details about a HackerNews post including metadata and comments. It is categorised as a Read tool in the HackerNews MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on get_post? +

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

What risk level is get_post? +

get_post is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit get_post? +

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

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

get_post is provided by the HackerNews MCP Server MCP server (traves-theberge/hackernews-mcp-typescript). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every HackerNews MCP Server tool call.

Start from HackerNews MCP Server, 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.

6 HackerNews MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.

// GET IN TOUCH

Have a question or want to learn more? Send us a message.

Message sent.

We'll get back to you soon.