This record as markdown: /tools/heznpc-airmcp/system-power.md
What system_power does on AirMCP
AI agents call system_power to permanently remove resources in AirMCP, typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.
Why system_power is rated Critical
Shutting down or restarting a Mac is an irreversible, high-blast-radius action: it terminates all running processes, closes all open files, and can cause data loss. This maps squarely to the Destructive category. Misuse by an AI agent could halt an entire workstation, interrupt critical services, or cause unsaved data loss, warranting a critical severity rating.
From the tool's definition 'Shutdown or restart the Mac. Use with caution.' — shutting down a machine is irreversible in the moment and terminates all running processes; restarting also forcibly interrupts all work.
Risk signalsAdmin/system-level operation
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs system_power safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and AirMCP, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For system_power, this is the rule to start with:
system_power is removed from the agent's tool list entirely, so the agent never calls it. The rest of the server keeps working.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect AirMCP, apply this rule, and every system_power call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about system_power
Shutdown or restart the Mac. Use with caution. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the AirMCP MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.
Register the Air MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for system_power: 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 AirMCP. Nothing to install.
system_power is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the system_power 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 system_power. 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.
system_power is provided by the Air MCP server (airmcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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