AI agents call discover_side_effects to retrieve information from Search Tools MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool appears to be a static code analysis function that discovers and reports side effects within a codebase. Discovery and analysis of code properties is a read-only operation with no capability to execute code, modify systems, or cause destructive changes. The low severity reflects that misuse would only expose analysis data, not trigger external operations or data loss.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'discover_side_effects' and server context indicate code analysis/search functionality. Server description emphasizes 'intelligent code analysis and search across repositories' with operations like 'trace dependencies' and 'find code hotspots'.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access discover_side_effects gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Search Tools MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for discover_side_effects:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"discover_side_effects": {}
}
}discover_side_effects is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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discover_side_effects. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Search Tools MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Search Tools MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for discover_side_effects: 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 Search Tools MCP Server. Nothing to install.
discover_side_effects 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 discover_side_effects 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 discover_side_effects. 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.
discover_side_effects is provided by the Search Tools MCP Server MCP server (voxmenthe/search-tools-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 21 Search Tools MCP Server tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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21 Search Tools MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.