cleanshot_show_desktop_icons

THE RISK

Medium Risk

Why cleanshot_show_desktop_icons needs a policy

This tool modifies the display state of desktop icons by making them visible. It is a reversible UI state change (counterpart to hide), so it falls under Write. The blast radius is low as it only affects desktop icon visibility.

From the tool's definition 'Show desktop icons' - reverses a hidden state, making desktop icons visible again

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access cleanshot_show_desktop_icons gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control cleanshot_show_desktop_icons

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Cleanshot, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for cleanshot_show_desktop_icons:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "cleanshot_show_desktop_icons": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "cleanshot_show_desktop_icons_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

cleanshot_show_desktop_icons 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.

Create a free account and register Cleanshot — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Cleanshot tools

Execute cleanshot_all_in_one Launch CleanShot Execute cleanshot_capture_area Open CleanShot Execute cleanshot_capture_text Open CleanShot Execute cleanshot_hide_desktop_icons Hide desktop icons Execute cleanshot_open_annotate Open a file in CleanShot Execute cleanshot_open_history Open CleanShot Execute cleanshot_open_settings Open CleanShot settings with optional tab Execute cleanshot_record_screen Open CleanShot

All 19 Cleanshot tools →

Write tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server download_torrent YouTube MCP Server generate_video_title Android Forensics ADB MCP Server combine_reports 0xarchive web3_signup

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Argument validation → Checking tool call arguments against schema and policy before they run.
Scoped token → Per-person credentials that grant a defined subset of servers and tools.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about cleanshot_show_desktop_icons

What does the cleanshot_show_desktop_icons tool do? +

Show desktop icons. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Cleanshot MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on cleanshot_show_desktop_icons? +

Register the Cleanshot MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for cleanshot_show_desktop_icons: 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 Cleanshot. Nothing to install.

What risk level is cleanshot_show_desktop_icons? +

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

Can I rate-limit cleanshot_show_desktop_icons? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the cleanshot_show_desktop_icons 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 cleanshot_show_desktop_icons completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for cleanshot_show_desktop_icons. 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 cleanshot_show_desktop_icons? +

cleanshot_show_desktop_icons is provided by the Cleanshot MCP server (jdorfman/cleanshot-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Cleanshot tool call.

Start from Cleanshot, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →