search_pubmed · NCBI Literature Search MCP Server MCP

WHAT IT DOES

What search_pubmed does on NCBI Literature Search MCP Server

AI agents call search_pubmed 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 search_pubmed needs a policy

This tool retrieves scientific articles from PubMed based on search queries. It is purely informational—no data is created, modified, deleted, or destructively altered. The tool has minimal blast radius if misused by an AI agent, as it only returns publicly available research literature. Confidence is high based on clear evidence of read-only semantics.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'search_pubmed' and description 'Search PubMed database for scientific literature' indicate a query/retrieval operation with no data modification or irreversible effects.

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

POLICY

How to control search_pubmed

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 search_pubmed:

policy.json

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

search_pubmed 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 cache_stats Get cache performance statistics. 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.

All 12 NCBI Literature Search MCP Server tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

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 search_pubmed

What does the search_pubmed tool do? +

Search PubMed database for scientific literature. 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 search_pubmed? +

Register the NCBI Literature Search MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_pubmed: 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 search_pubmed? +

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

Can I rate-limit search_pubmed? +

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

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

search_pubmed 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.