control_media
Control a media player equipment item. action: play, pause, next, previous, volume_up, volume_down.
This record as markdown: /tools/deswong-openhab-mcp/control-media.md
What control_media does on Openhab
AI agents invoke control_media to trigger actions in Openhab. 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 control_media is rated High
This tool triggers external operations on a physical/smart media player device. It executes actions (play, pause, volume changes, track navigation) that have real-world effects on connected equipment. It fits Execute because it triggers external operations whose effects depend on arguments. Severity is medium as misuse could disrupt media playback but has limited broader impact.
From the tool's definition Control a media player equipment item. action: play, pause, next, previous, volume_up, volume_down.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs control_media safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Openhab, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For control_media, this is the rule to start with:
control_media 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 Openhab, apply this rule, and every control_media call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about control_media
Control a media player equipment item. action: play, pause, next, previous, volume_up, volume_down. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Openhab MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Openhab MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for control_media: 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 Openhab. Nothing to install.
control_media 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 control_media 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 control_media. 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.
control_media is provided by the Openhab MCP server (deswong/openhab-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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