search_items

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why search_items needs a policy

This tool retrieves or searches for data from a STAC catalog without side effects. It accepts filters (spatial, temporal, attribute) to constrain results but does not create, modify, delete, or execute operations. The blast radius of misuse is minimal—an agent might retrieve unwanted datasets but cannot harm the catalog or external systems.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'search_items' and description 'Search for STAC items' indicate a query operation. The server context describes 'search and access geospatial datasets' and 'querying satellite imagery, weather data, and other geospatial assets with spatial,…

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

POLICY

How to control search_items

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

policy.json

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

search_items 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 STAC 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 STAC MCP Server tools

Read estimate_data_size Estimate the data size for a STAC query. Read get_aggregations Get aggregations for STAC items. Read get_collection Fetch a single STAC Collection by id. Read get_conformance Return server conformance classes. Read get_item Get a specific STAC Item by collection and item ID. Read get_queryables Get the queryable properties for a specific STAC collection by its ID. Read get_root Return the STAC root document for a catalog. Read get_sensor_registry_info Get information about the STAC sensor registry.

All 10 STAC 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_items

What does the search_items tool do? +

Search for STAC items. It is categorised as a Read tool in the STAC MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on search_items? +

Register the STAC MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_items: 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 STAC MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is search_items? +

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

Can I rate-limit search_items? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_items 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_items completely? +

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

search_items is provided by the STAC MCP Server MCP server (wayfinder-foundry/stac-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every STAC MCP Server tool call.

Start from STAC 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 →