Find all notes that link to the given note via [[wikilinks]].
AI agents call get_backlinks to retrieve information from Mcp Obsidian without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This is a query operation that retrieves existing relationships between notes without side effects. It reads link metadata to provide backlink information, consistent with the Read category for retrieval operations. The low severity reflects that querying note relationships poses minimal risk even if misused by an AI agent.
From the tool's definition Tool performs a search/query operation: 'Find all notes that link to the given note via [[wikilinks]]'. No modification, deletion, or execution occurs; it retrieves existing link metadata from the vault.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Find all notes that link to the given note via [[wikilinks]]. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mcp Obsidian MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Mcp Obsidian MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_backlinks: 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 Mcp Obsidian. Nothing to install.
get_backlinks is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_backlinks 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 get_backlinks. 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.
get_backlinks is provided by the Mcp Obsidian MCP server (jkang8/mcp-obsidian). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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