AI agents call getSubsites to retrieve information from SharePoint Online MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Even though getSubsites only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs — an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access getSubsites gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and SharePoint Online MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for getSubsites:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"getSubsites": {}
}
}getSubsites is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get all subsites from a SharePoint site. It is categorised as a Read tool in the SharePoint Online MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the SharePoint Online MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for getSubsites: 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 SharePoint Online MCP Server. Nothing to install.
getSubsites 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 getSubsites 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 getSubsites. 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.
getSubsites is provided by the SharePoint Online MCP Server MCP server (zerg00s/server-sharepoint). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 56 SharePoint Online MCP Server tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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56 SharePoint Online MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.