Check the health of both the MCP server and the PostgreSQL database connection. Returns connectivity status and response time. Use this to diagnose connection issues.
AI agents call healthCheck to retrieve information from Postgresql without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves diagnostic information about server and database health status without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any data operations. It is a read-only monitoring function that has no side effects on the database or system state. The low severity reflects minimal blast radius even if misused—an agent cannot cause harm beyond potentially repeated health checks.
From the tool's definition The tool description states it 'Returns connectivity status and response time' and is used to 'diagnose connection issues'. It performs checking and monitoring operations with no modification, deletion, or execution of queries.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Check the health of both the MCP server and the PostgreSQL database connection. Returns connectivity status and response time. Use this to diagnose connection issues. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Postgresql MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Postgresql MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for healthCheck: 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 Postgresql. Nothing to install.
healthCheck 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 healthCheck 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 healthCheck. 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.
healthCheck is provided by the Postgresql MCP server (vnikhilbuddhavarapu/postgresql-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
Teams ship this data inside their own products. See what a licence covers →