cache_stats · NCBI Literature Search MCP Server MCP

WHAT IT DOES

What cache_stats does on NCBI Literature Search MCP Server

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

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why cache_stats needs a policy

This tool retrieves cache statistics for monitoring purposes only. It has no side effects, does not modify data, execute commands, or affect external systems. The blast radius of misuse is minimal—worst case would be exposing performance metadata about internal caching behavior.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'cache_stats' and description 'Get cache performance statistics' indicate a read-only operation that retrieves performance metrics without modifying, executing, or deleting any data.

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

POLICY

How to control cache_stats

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

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "cache_stats": {}
  }
}

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

Create a free account and register NCBI Literature Search MCP Server — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More NCBI Literature Search MCP Server tools

Destructive clear_cache Clear expired cache entries. Destructive reset_analytics Reset analytics data (use with caution - this will clear all collected metrics). Read advanced_search Perform advanced PubMed searches with multiple criteria. Read batch_get_article_details Fetch article details for many PMIDs efficiently in batches. Read batch_search_multiple_queries Perform multiple PubMed searches in parallel for efficiency. Read get_analytics_summary Get comprehensive analytics summary including usage stats, performance metrics, and system Read get_article_details Fetch detailed information for specific PubMed articles. Read get_detailed_metrics Get detailed performance metrics for the specified time period (default: last 24 hours).

All 12 NCBI Literature Search MCP Server tools →

Read tools on other servers

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Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about cache_stats

What does the cache_stats tool do? +

Get cache performance statistics. It is categorised as a Read tool in the NCBI Literature Search MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on cache_stats? +

Register the NCBI Literature Search MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for cache_stats: 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 NCBI Literature Search MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is cache_stats? +

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

Can I rate-limit cache_stats? +

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

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

cache_stats is provided by the NCBI Literature Search MCP Server MCP server (vitorpavinato/ncbi-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every NCBI Literature Search MCP Server tool call.

Start from NCBI Literature Search MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →

Free to start. No card required.

12 NCBI Literature Search MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.