List available YARA rules. Shows bundled rules or custom rules from specified paths.
AI agents call yara_list_rules to retrieve information from Windows Forensics MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This is a read-only operation that retrieves metadata about YARA rules. There are no side effects, data modification, code execution, destructive operations, or financial implications. The tool simply enumerates available rules for informational purposes in a forensic analysis context.
From the tool's definition The tool 'yara_list_rules' explicitly lists available YARA rules without executing them, modifying them, or deleting them. It is a query/retrieval operation that returns information about existing rules from bundled or custom paths.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access yara_list_rules gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Windows Forensics MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for yara_list_rules:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"yara_list_rules": {}
}
}yara_list_rules is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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List available YARA rules. Shows bundled rules or custom rules from specified paths. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Windows Forensics MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Windows Forensics MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for yara_list_rules: 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 Windows Forensics MCP Server. Nothing to install.
yara_list_rules 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 yara_list_rules 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 yara_list_rules. 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.
yara_list_rules is provided by the Windows Forensics MCP Server MCP server (x746b/winforensics-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Windows Forensics MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
61 Windows Forensics MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.