setup-network

THE RISK

High Risk

Why setup-network needs a policy

Configuring network settings on VMs triggers external infrastructure operations that change routing, interfaces, DNS, or firewall rules. These changes can disrupt connectivity and are difficult to reverse cleanly, placing this firmly in Execute (infrastructure operation with significant blast radius).

From the tool's definition 'Configure network settings for VMs' — actively modifies network configuration on virtual machines

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access setup-network gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control setup-network

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Ansible, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for setup-network:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "setup-network": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "setup-network_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

setup-network stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

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

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Ansible tools

Destructive remove-external-server Remove an external server from inventory Destructive unload-service-tools Unload tools specific to a service Execute ansible-playbook Run an Ansible playbook Execute ansible-role Run an Ansible role Execute ansible-task Run a single Ansible task ad-hoc Execute deploy-service Deploy a service from the catalog by creating VM and configuring it Execute deploy-to-environment Deploy a service to a specific environment Execute hardware-benchmark Run basic hardware benchmarks

All 90 Ansible tools →

Execute tools on other servers

Android Forensics ADB MCP Server adb_shell_command EMBA-MCP run_emba_scan Frida Game Hacking MCP remove_breakpoint Procmon request_elevation

Go deeper

High-risk tools in Ansible → Every high-risk tool this server exposes, in one view.
All high-risk MCP tools → Every high-risk tool across the catalogue, and the policy pattern that contains them.
The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Agent sandbox → Bounding what an agent can execute and where the boundary should sit.
Least privilege for MCP → Granting agents the minimum tool surface the task needs.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about setup-network

What does the setup-network tool do? +

Configure network settings for VMs. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Ansible MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on setup-network? +

Register the Ansible MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for setup-network: 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 Ansible. Nothing to install.

What risk level is setup-network? +

setup-network is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit setup-network? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the setup-network 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 setup-network completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for setup-network. 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 setup-network? +

setup-network is provided by the Ansible MCP server (washyu/ansible-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 Ansible tool call.

Start from Ansible, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →