obsidian-mcp-list-files

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why obsidian-mcp-list-files needs a policy

Listing files is a non-destructive query operation that retrieves metadata about vault contents without side effects. It matches the Read category pattern (list, get, fetch) and poses minimal risk if misused—an agent could enumerate files but not modify, delete, or execute them.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'obsidian-mcp-list-files' which indicates listing/enumeration of files. Sibling tools on the server include 'obsidian-mcp-read-file' and 'obsidian-mcp-search-filenames', suggesting this tool performs a similar informational query without…

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access obsidian-mcp-list-files gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control obsidian-mcp-list-files

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Vault MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for obsidian-mcp-list-files:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "obsidian-mcp-list-files": {}
  }
}

obsidian-mcp-list-files 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 Vault MCP — 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

Related tools and policies

More Vault MCP tools

Destructive obsidian-mcp-rollback-edit obsidian-mcp-rollback-edit Write obsidian-mcp-diff-edit-file obsidian-mcp-diff-edit-file Write obsidian-mcp-upsert-file obsidian-mcp-upsert-file Read obsidian-mcp-list-schemas obsidian-mcp-list-schemas Read obsidian-mcp-read-file obsidian-mcp-read-file Read obsidian-mcp-search-contents obsidian-mcp-search-contents Read obsidian-mcp-search-filenames obsidian-mcp-search-filenames

All 8 Vault MCP tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about obsidian-mcp-list-files

What does the obsidian-mcp-list-files tool do? +

obsidian-mcp-list-files. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Vault MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on obsidian-mcp-list-files? +

Register the Vault MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for obsidian-mcp-list-files: 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 Vault MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is obsidian-mcp-list-files? +

obsidian-mcp-list-files is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit obsidian-mcp-list-files? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the obsidian-mcp-list-files 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 obsidian-mcp-list-files completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for obsidian-mcp-list-files. 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 obsidian-mcp-list-files? +

obsidian-mcp-list-files is provided by the Vault MCP server (jlevere/obsidian-mcp-plugin). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Vault MCP tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →