cleanup_broken_references

THE RISK

Critical Risk

Why cleanup_broken_references needs a policy

The tool explicitly removes broken links from notes. Removal of links is a destructive, potentially irreversible modification to note content. If an AI agent misuses this, it could strip out links that were intentionally kept or that the user wanted to fix manually, with no guarantee of recovery.

From the tool's definition 'Remove/fix broken links' — the 'Remove' action irreversibly deletes broken references from notes

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

POLICY

How to control cleanup_broken_references

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

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "hide": [
    "cleanup_broken_references"
  ]
}

cleanup_broken_references disappears from the agent's tool list entirely, and any attempt to call it is denied. The rest of the server keeps working.

Create a free account and register Obsidian 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.

RESTRICT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

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All 120 Obsidian MCP Server tools →

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Go deeper

Critical-risk tools in Obsidian MCP Server → Every critical-risk tool this server exposes, in one view.
All critical-risk MCP tools → Every critical-risk tool across the catalogue, and the policy pattern that contains them.
The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Blast radius → How much damage one compromised or confused agent can do — and how to bound it.
Tool call approval → Approval gates on individual tool calls: auto-allow, prompt, or deny.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about cleanup_broken_references

What does the cleanup_broken_references tool do? +

Remove/fix broken links. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Obsidian MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.

How do I enforce a policy on cleanup_broken_references? +

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

What risk level is cleanup_broken_references? +

cleanup_broken_references is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.

Can I rate-limit cleanup_broken_references? +

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

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

cleanup_broken_references is provided by the Obsidian MCP Server MCP server (kynlos/obsidian-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Obsidian MCP Server tool call.

Start from Obsidian 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 →