ui_press_key
Send a key or key combination (e.g. Return, Cmd+S, Ctrl+C). Supports modifier keys: command/cmd, shift, option/alt, control/ctrl. Special keys: return, enter, tab, space, delete, escape, arrow keys (up/down/left/right), F1-F12, home, end, pageup, pagedown. Requires Accessibility permissions.
This record as markdown: /tools/heznpc-airmcp/ui-press-key.md
What ui_press_key does on AirMCP
AI agents invoke ui_press_key to trigger actions in AirMCP. 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 ui_press_key is rated High
This tool triggers arbitrary keyboard input including destructive key combinations (e.g., Cmd+Delete), system-level shortcuts (Cmd+Q to quit), file operations (Cmd+S to save), and clipboard actions (Ctrl+C/V).
From the tool's definition Send a key or key combination (e.g. Return, Cmd+S, Ctrl+C). Supports modifier keys: command/cmd, shift, option/alt, control/ctrl. Special keys: return, enter, tab, space, delete, escape, arrow keys
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs ui_press_key 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 ui_press_key, this is the rule to start with:
ui_press_key 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 AirMCP, apply this rule, and every ui_press_key call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about ui_press_key
Send a key or key combination (e.g. Return, Cmd+S, Ctrl+C). Supports modifier keys: command/cmd, shift, option/alt, control/ctrl. Special keys: return, enter, tab, space, delete, escape, arrow keys (up/down/left/right), F1-F12, home, end, pageup, pagedown. Requires Accessibility permissions. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the AirMCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Air MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for ui_press_key: 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.
ui_press_key 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 ui_press_key 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 ui_press_key. 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.
ui_press_key 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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