Managing tool permissions

You can use the /tools command to manage permissions for tools that Kiro uses to perform actions on your system. This provides granular control over what actions Kiro can perform.

Tools commands

To view the current permission settings for all tools:

$ kiro-cli chat
Kiro> /tools

This displays a list of all available tools and their current permission status (trusted or per-request).

Tool permissions have two possible states:

• Trusted: Kiro can use the tool without asking for confirmation each time.
• Per-request: Kiro must ask for your confirmation each time before using the tool.

To trust or untrust a specific tool for the current session:

Kiro> /tools trust fs_read
Kiro> /tools untrust execute_bash

You can also trust all tools at once with /tools trust-all(equivalent to the deprecated /acceptall command):

Kiro> /tools trust-all

Warning

Using /tools trust-all carries risks. For more information, see Understanding security risks .

The following image shows the status of the CLI tools when they are all in their default trust status.

The following tools are natively available for Kiro to use:

Available tools

When Kiro attempts to use a tool that doesn't have explicit permission, it will ask for your approval before proceeding. You can choose to allow or deny the action, or trust the tool for the remainder of your session.

Each tool has a default trust behavior. fs_read is the only tool that is trusted by default.

Here are some examples of when to use different permission levels:

• Trust fs_read: When you want Kiro to read files without confirmation, such as when exploring a codebase.
• Trust fs_write: When you're actively working on a project and want Kiro to help you create or modify files.
• Untrust execute_bash: When working in sensitive environments where you want to review all commands before execution.
• Untrust use_aws: When working with production AWS resources to prevent unintended changes.

When Kiro uses a tool, it shows you the trust permission being used.

You can also specify trust permissions as part of starting a kiro-cli chat session.