Returns a list of all tool names currently registered.
AI agents call list_tools to retrieve information from UTCP-MCP Bridge without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs a simple enumeration of available tools by name. It retrieves information without side effects, making it a Read operation. The severity is low because listing tool names poses minimal risk—it's informational metadata that doesn't execute actions or modify state. No financial, destructive, or execution capabilities are present.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_tools' and description 'Returns a list of all tool names currently registered' indicates a query operation that retrieves metadata without modifying, executing, or deleting anything.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_tools gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and UTCP-MCP Bridge, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_tools:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_tools": {}
}
}list_tools is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Returns a list of all tool names currently registered. It is categorised as a Read tool in the UTCP-MCP Bridge MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the UTCP-MCP Bridge MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_tools: 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 UTCP-MCP Bridge. Nothing to install.
list_tools 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_tools 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_tools. 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_tools is provided by the UTCP-MCP Bridge MCP server (universal-tool-calling-protocol/utcp-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 7 UTCP-MCP Bridge tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
7 UTCP-MCP Bridge tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.