kill_process

Terminate a running process by PID. Use with caution as this will forcefully terminate the specified process. ${CMD_PREFIX_DESCRIPTION}

SERVERDesktop Commander SOURCEwonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/desktop-commander/kill-process.md

WHAT IT DOES

What kill_process does on Desktop Commander

AI agents call kill_process to retrieve information from Desktop Commander without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

RISK

Why kill_process is rated Low

Even though kill_process only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs: an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs kill_process safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Desktop Commander, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For kill_process, this is the rule to start with:

kill_process Allowed

kill_process is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "kill_process": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Desktop Commander, apply this rule, and every kill_process call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about kill_process

What does the kill_process tool do? +

Terminate a running process by PID. Use with caution as this will forcefully terminate the specified process. ${CMD_PREFIX_DESCRIPTION}. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Desktop Commander MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on kill_process? +

Register the Desktop Commander MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for kill_process: 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 Desktop Commander. Nothing to install.

What risk level is kill_process? +

kill_process is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit kill_process? +

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

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

kill_process is provided by the Desktop Commander MCP server (wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

KEEP EXPLORING

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