AI agents use share_file to create or update resources in Apple Shortcuts — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Apple Shortcuts environment.
Creating sharing links is a Write operation—it generates new metadata/artifacts (the sharing link itself) without deleting or executing arbitrary code. However, it carries medium severity because unintended sharing of sensitive files could expose confidential data to unintended recipients, representing a meaningful blast radius for an unsupervised AI agent.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'share_file' and description 'Create a sharing link for a file or folder' indicate creation of a shareable resource (a link), which is a reversible data modification operation.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access share_file gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Apple Shortcuts, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for share_file:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"share_file": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "share_file_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}share_file 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.
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Create a sharing link for a file or folder. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Apple Shortcuts MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Apple Shortcuts MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for share_file: 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 Apple Shortcuts. Nothing to install.
share_file is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the share_file 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 share_file. 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.
share_file is provided by the Apple Shortcuts MCP server (@mindstone/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Apple Shortcuts, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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423 Apple Shortcuts tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.