AI agents call find_orphaned_attachments to retrieve information from Obsidian MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs a read-only analysis of the vault's file structure to identify orphaned attachments. It retrieves and reports data about unused media files but does not modify, delete, or execute any actions. The operation is passive and safe, with no side effects on the vault state.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'find_orphaned_attachments' and description 'Find unused media files' indicate a search/discovery operation that queries the vault for unreferenced attachments without modifying or deleting anything.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access find_orphaned_attachments gives an agent:
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 find_orphaned_attachments:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"find_orphaned_attachments": {}
}
}find_orphaned_attachments is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Find unused media files. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Obsidian MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Obsidian MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for find_orphaned_attachments: 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.
find_orphaned_attachments 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 find_orphaned_attachments 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 find_orphaned_attachments. 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.
find_orphaned_attachments 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.
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.
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120 Obsidian MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.