list_vms

List all managed VMs and their statuses

Server Virtualbox MCP Server usemanusai/virtualbox-mcp-server
Category Read
Risk class Low
Parameters 00 required

What list_vms does on Virtualbox MCP Server

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

Why list_vms needs a policy

This tool only reads and enumerates virtual machine metadata (names and statuses). It has no side effects, does not execute operations, and does not alter any state. It is a straightforward information-retrieval operation, making it clearly a Read category risk with low severity.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'list_vms' and description states it 'List all managed VMs and their statuses' — a pure query operation that retrieves information without modifying or executing anything.

Questions about list_vms

What does the list_vms tool do? +

List all managed VMs and their statuses. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Virtualbox MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_vms? +

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

What risk level is list_vms? +

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

Can I rate-limit list_vms? +

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

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

list_vms is provided by the Virtualbox MCP Server MCP server (usemanusai/virtualbox-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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