search_pairs · Weighted Compact MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What search_pairs does on Weighted Compact

AI agents call search_pairs to retrieve information from Weighted Compact without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why search_pairs needs a policy

This is a read-only search operation over local memory substrate with no side effects, no modifications, and no external operations. Even though the description is empty, the server-level documentation clearly categorizes it as read-only, and the naming pattern 'search_pairs' is consistent with retrieval operations. Blast radius is minimal—worst case returns unexpected search results from local indexed data.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'search_pairs' suggests querying/searching functionality. Server description explicitly states 'Three read-only MCP tools' including this one, and indicates 'zero outbound calls.' The tool operates over local ~/.claude/projects/ data with…

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Questions about search_pairs

What does the search_pairs tool do? +

search_pairs. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Weighted Compact MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on search_pairs? +

Register the Weighted Compact MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_pairs: 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 Weighted Compact. Nothing to install.

What risk level is search_pairs? +

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

Can I rate-limit search_pairs? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_pairs 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_pairs completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search_pairs. 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_pairs? +

search_pairs is provided by the Weighted Compact MCP server (zzallirog/weighted-compact). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.