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What launch_app does on Frida Agent MCP
AI agents invoke launch_app to trigger actions in Frida Agent MCP. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Why launch_app is rated High
launch_app executes an action on an external system (Android device) by starting an application process. This fits Execute rather than Read (has side effects beyond data retrieval), Write (irreversible once app is running/active), or Destructive (app launch is reversible via kill_app).
From the tool's definition Tool launches an Android app by package name, triggering external operation/execution with side effects that depend on the package name argument provided by the AI agent.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs launch_app safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Frida Agent MCP, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For launch_app, this is the rule to start with:
launch_app stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Frida Agent MCP, apply this rule, and every launch_app call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about launch_app
Launch an Android app by package name. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Frida Agent MCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Frida Agent MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for launch_app: 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 Frida Agent MCP. Nothing to install.
launch_app is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the launch_app 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 launch_app. 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.
launch_app is provided by the Frida Agent MCP server (1193776794/frida-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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