assign_task · Shannon MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What assign_task does on Shannon MCP

AI agents invoke assign_task to trigger actions in Shannon MCP. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why assign_task needs a policy

Assigning a task to an AI agent initiates autonomous execution of potentially arbitrary operations. The actual impact depends on what the agent does, but since this is part of a multi-agent collaborative system managing Claude Code CLI operations, the assigned tasks could include code execution, file modifications, or other high-impact actions.

From the tool's definition 'Assign a task to an AI agent' — triggers external AI agent operations whose effects depend on the task arguments

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

assign_task Rate-limited

assign_task stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "assign_task": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "assign_task_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Shannon MCP, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about assign_task

What does the assign_task tool do? +

Assign a task to an AI agent. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Shannon MCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on assign_task? +

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

What risk level is assign_task? +

assign_task is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit assign_task? +

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

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

assign_task is provided by the Shannon MCP server (krzemienski/shannon-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.