# adb_start_app_am

Starts an Android app on the connected device using 'am start'.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `adb_start_app_am`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/adb-start-app-am

## Facts

- Tool: `adb_start_app_am`
- Server: Renef (`ahmeth4n/renef-mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/Ahmeth4n/renef-mcp
- Risk category: Execute (High risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Rate-limited

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "adb_start_app_am",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why adb_start_app_am is rated High

Starting an arbitrary Android app is an Execute action—it runs a command that initiates application processes with effects determined by the arguments. While not destructive per se, it can trigger unintended side effects (data access, network calls, permissions exploitation).

From the tool's own definition: "Tool name 'adb_start_app_am' and description 'Starts an Android app on the connected device using am start' indicate execution of the Android Activity Manager command to launch applications."

## Use case

AI agents invoke adb_start_app_am to trigger actions in Renef. 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.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Rate-limited**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Renef:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "adb_start_app_am": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "adb_start_app_am_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Renef (74)

- `renef_hard_reset` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-hard-reset.md
- `renef_jni_delete_ref` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-jni-delete-ref.md
- `renef_port_forward_remove` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-port-forward-remove.md
- `renef_port_forward_remove_all` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-port-forward-remove-all.md
- `renef_server_kill` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-server-kill.md
- `adb_selinux_disable` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/adb-selinux-disable.md
- `adb_selinux_enable` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/adb-selinux-enable.md
- `adb_start_app_monkey` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/adb-start-app-monkey.md
- `adb_stop_app_am` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/adb-stop-app-am.md
- `renef_attach` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-attach.md
- `renef_cli_reset` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-cli-reset.md
- `renef_exec` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-exec.md
- `renef_hook_generate` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-hook-generate.md
- `renef_hook_java` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-hook-java.md
- `renef_hook_native` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-hook-native.md
- `renef_jni_new_string` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-jni-new-string.md
- `renef_load_script` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-load-script.md
- `renef_mem_write` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-mem-write.md
- `renef_mem_write_u16` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-mem-write-u16.md
- `renef_mem_write_u32` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-mem-write-u32.md
- `renef_mem_write_u64` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-mem-write-u64.md
- `renef_mem_write_u8` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-mem-write-u8.md
- `renef_memory_patch` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-memory-patch.md
- `renef_port_forward_add` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-port-forward-add.md
- `renef_server_deploy` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-server-deploy.md
- `renef_server_restart` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-server-restart.md
- `renef_server_start` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-server-start.md
- `renef_spawn` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-spawn.md
- `renef_zero_copy_multiline_exec` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/renef-zero-copy-multiline-exec.md
- `run` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp/run.md
- …and 44 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=ahmeth4n-renef-mcp · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/ahmeth4n-renef-mcp