Medium Risk

set_remove

Remove member from set. Args: key: The name of the key member: Member to remove Returns: Success message or error message

How to control set_remove ↓

What set_remove does on AWS

AI agents use set_remove to create or update resources in AWS — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your AWS environment.

Medium Risk

Why set_remove needs a policy

The tool removes a member from a set, which is a data modification operation. It is Write rather than Destructive because set membership removal is typically reversible (the member can be re-added).

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Remove member from set' with args for key and member. This modifies data by removing an element from a set structure, which is a reversible write operation.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access set_remove gives an agent:

How to control set_remove

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and AWS, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for set_remove:

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "set_remove": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "set_remove_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

set_remove stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

  1. Create a free account and register AWS — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
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Related tools and policies

Go deeper

Questions about set_remove

What does the set_remove tool do? +

Remove member from set. Args: key: The name of the key member: Member to remove Returns: Success message or error message. It is categorised as a Write tool in the AWS MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on set_remove? +

Register the AWS MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for set_remove: 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 AWS. Nothing to install.

What risk level is set_remove? +

set_remove is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit set_remove? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the set_remove 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 set_remove completely? +

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

set_remove is provided by the AWS MCP server (@awslabs/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every AWS tool call.

Start from AWS, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

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300 AWS tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.

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