dm-by-name

SERVERNostr Bray SOURCEnostr-bray

Medium RISK CLASS

Category Write

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Rate-limitedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/dev-forgesworn-bray/dm-by-name.md

WHAT IT DOES

What dm-by-name does on Nostr Bray

AI agents use dm-by-name to create or update resources in Nostr Bray, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Nostr Bray environment.

RISK

Why dm-by-name is rated Medium

This tool creates new, persistent messages in the Nostr DM system. While not destructive or financial, it is a write operation with potential for abuse: an AI agent could spam contacts, impersonate the user, send phishing messages, or harass other users.

From the tool's definition Tool sends an encrypted DM (direct message) to a contact by name. The description explicitly states it 'sends the message', which is a write operation that creates new data (a DM record) in the Nostr protocol.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs dm-by-name safely

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

dm-by-name Rate-limited

dm-by-name 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "dm-by-name": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "dm-by-name_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Nostr Bray, apply this rule, and every dm-by-name call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about dm-by-name

What does the dm-by-name tool do? +

Send an encrypted DM to a contact by name — no pubkey needed. Searches your contacts, finds the match, and sends the message. Returns an error if zero or multiple matches are found (use contacts-search to disambiguate). It is categorised as a Write tool in the Nostr Bray MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on dm-by-name? +

Register the Nostr Bray MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for dm-by-name: 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 Nostr Bray. Nothing to install.

What risk level is dm-by-name? +

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

Can I rate-limit dm-by-name? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the dm-by-name 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 dm-by-name completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for dm-by-name. 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 dm-by-name? +

dm-by-name is provided by the Nostr Bray MCP server (nostr-bray). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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