AI agents call snapshot_scrollback to retrieve information from PiloTY without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves historical terminal output/logs without altering state, executing commands, or triggering side effects. It is purely informational, examining past terminal sessions rather than modifying them or executing new operations.
From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Get rendered terminal scrollback' - a retrieval operation with no modifications. The verb 'Get' and absence of any write, execute, or destructive keywords indicate read-only data access.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access snapshot_scrollback gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and PiloTY, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for snapshot_scrollback:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"snapshot_scrollback": {}
}
}snapshot_scrollback is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get rendered terminal scrollback. It is categorised as a Read tool in the PiloTY MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the PiloTY MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for snapshot_scrollback: 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 PiloTY. Nothing to install.
snapshot_scrollback 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 snapshot_scrollback 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 snapshot_scrollback. 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.
snapshot_scrollback is provided by the PiloTY MCP server (yiwenlu66/piloty). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 17 PiloTY tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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17 PiloTY tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.