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mcp-sam-gov

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nist_800_53_controls

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Retrieve NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 security and privacy controls for FedRAMP, CMMC, and RMF compliance. Search by control ID, family, or keyword to get requirement text, guidance, and withdrawn status.

Instructions

Look up NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 security & privacy CONTROLS (keyless) — the requirement backbone for FedRAMP / CMMC / RMF compliance work. Retrieve a control by controlId (exact, e.g. 'AC-2', 'SC-7', 'AC-2(1)'), a family (2-letter code 'AC'/'SC'/'IA' or a name substring 'Access Control'), and/or a keyword (case-insensitive substring over title + statement); limit/offset pagination. Each row: { id (e.g. 'AC-2'), family (e.g. 'AC — Access Control'), title, status ('withdrawn' | null), statement (the labelled requirement prose; NULL for a WITHDRAWN control, never ''), guidance (discussion), incorporatedInto:[control ids that superseded a withdrawn control, e.g. AC-13 → ['AC-2','AU-6']], enhancements:[{id,title}] (e.g. AC-2(1)) }. Complements cve_lookup + cisa_kev_lookup (the vulnerability side) with the CONTROL/requirement side. HONESTY: source is NIST's OFFICIAL OSCAL catalog published at github.com/usnistgov/oscal-content (authoritative first-party data served from GitHub, not a .gov API host — provenance disclosed in _meta); the exact OSCAL version + last-modified are surfaced in _meta (the catalog is fetched live from the MOVING 'main' branch, so control text can shift between point releases, e.g. 5.1.1 → 5.2.0 — cite the version, not just 'Rev 5'); a WITHDRAWN control (status:'withdrawn') has statement:null and is NOT an active requirement (see incorporatedInto for what replaced it); the catalog has no query API so filtering is CLIENT-SIDE and totalAvailable is the EXACT match count; this is the REQUIREMENT text only — applicability depends on the system's FIPS-199 impact baseline (Low/Moderate/High), which the catalog does not encode (disclosed); a download failure or an implausibly-truncated catalog (< 15 families) THROWS (never a fake-empty 'control not found').

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
limitNoMax controls returned (default 25, max 200).
familyNoControl family — the 2-letter code ('AC', 'SC', 'IA') OR a substring of the family name ('Access Control', 'Audit'). Case-insensitive.
offsetNoZero-based page offset (default 0).
keywordNoCase-insensitive substring searched over the control title + requirement statement.
controlIdNoExact control identifier, e.g. 'AC-2', 'SC-7', 'AC-2(1)' (case-insensitive; zero-padding is normalized).
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Discloses source provenance (OSCAL catalog from github.com/usnistgov/oscal-content), version handling (live from moving main branch), behavior for withdrawn controls (statement null, incorporatedInto), client-side filtering (no query API), and error handling (throws on download failure or truncated catalog). Annotations already declare readOnlyHint and openWorldHint, but description adds substantial behavioral context beyond those.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with purpose in first sentence. All sentences add value: parameter usage, output details, honesty section. No fluff; length is appropriate for the tool's complexity. Well-structured with clear sections.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given no output schema, description fully covers return fields including id, family, title, status, statement, guidance, incorporatedInto, and enhancements. Addresses edge cases (withdrawn controls, client-side filtering, error behavior). Complements sibling tools and provides complete context for usage.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters5/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100% and description adds significant meaning: explains controlId exact matching (case-insensitive, zero-padding normalized), family accepts code or name substring, keyword is case-insensitive substring over title+statement, limit/offset for pagination. Also details output structure for each parameter.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool looks up NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 security and privacy controls, identifies it as keyless requirement backbone for FedRAMP/CMMC/RMF, and distinguishes from sibling tools cve_lookup and cisa_kev_lookup by specifying it covers the control/requirement side versus the vulnerability side.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicit guidance on when to use: searching by controlId, family, keyword with pagination. Provides alternatives (cve_lookup, cisa_kev_lookup) for vulnerability side. Clearly states limitations: requirement text only, not applicability encoding, and that the catalog is from a moving branch so version can shift.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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