list_open_workbooks

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why list_open_workbooks needs a policy

This tool only retrieves metadata about open workbooks—a read-only operation with no side effects. It does not create, modify, delete, or execute any operations. The blast radius of misuse is minimal since an AI agent could only learn what workbooks are open in the current environment, which poses minimal security risk.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_open_workbooks' and description 'Lists currently open Excel workbooks' indicate a query operation that retrieves information without modifying or executing anything.

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

POLICY

How to control list_open_workbooks

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

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list_open_workbooks": {}
  }
}

list_open_workbooks is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

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

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

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Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
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FAQ

Questions about list_open_workbooks

What does the list_open_workbooks tool do? +

Lists currently open Excel workbooks. It is categorised as a Read tool in the PowerPoint MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_open_workbooks? +

Register the PowerPoint MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_open_workbooks: 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 PowerPoint MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list_open_workbooks? +

list_open_workbooks is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit list_open_workbooks? +

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

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

list_open_workbooks is provided by the PowerPoint MCP Server MCP server (jenstangen1/pptx-xlsx-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every PowerPoint MCP Server tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →