AI agents call get_references to retrieve information from Pubmed Search without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves bibliographic reference information from an article, which is a read-only operation with no side effects. It does not modify data, execute code, delete content, or involve financial transactions. The low severity reflects minimal risk of misuse—even if an agent retrieves references excessively, the impact is confined to data access with no destructive or operational consequences.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_references' and description 'Get the reference list of an article' indicate a retrieval operation that queries and returns bibliographic data without modification, creation, or deletion.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_references gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Pubmed Search, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_references:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_references": {}
}
}get_references is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get the reference list of an article. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Pubmed Search MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Pubmed Search MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_references: 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 Pubmed Search. Nothing to install.
get_references 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 get_references 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 get_references. 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.
get_references is provided by the Pubmed Search MCP server (u9401066/pubmed-search-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Pubmed Search, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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63 Pubmed Search tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.