List all visible windows with their titles, process names, and positions
AI agents call desktop_window_list to retrieve information from MCP Desktop Tools without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This is a read-only operation that enumerates and queries system state (window information) without side effects. It does not execute code, modify data, delete anything, or commit financial actions. The low severity reflects minimal blast radius — an attacker could enumerate open windows but cannot directly harm systems or data through this tool alone.
From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'List[s] all visible windows with their titles, process names, and positions' — a purely informational operation that retrieves window metadata without modification or execution.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
List all visible windows with their titles, process names, and positions. It is categorised as a Read tool in the MCP Desktop Tools MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the MCP Desktop Tools MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for desktop_window_list: 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 Desktop Tools. Nothing to install.
desktop_window_list 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 desktop_window_list 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 desktop_window_list. 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.
desktop_window_list is provided by the MCP Desktop Tools MCP server (k1ta141k/mcp-desktop-tools). 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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