notes.list_notes

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why notes.list_notes needs a policy

This tool retrieves metadata about notes without modifying, executing, or deleting anything. It is a pure read operation with minimal blast radius—even if an AI agent misuses it, it can only access note metadata that the user's Notes.app already has access to. Severity is low because note titles and metadata are typically low-sensitivity information, and no data is changed or removed.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'list_notes' and description states 'List notes, optionally filtered by folder/account. Returns headers only (id, title, modified, folder).' The verb 'list' and explicit statement that it 'returns headers only' indicate query/retrieval with no…

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access notes.list_notes gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control notes.list_notes

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

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "notes.list_notes": {}
  }
}

notes.list_notes 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 Orchard — 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

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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 notes.list_notes

What does the notes.list_notes tool do? +

List notes, optionally filtered by folder/account. Returns headers only (id, title, modified, folder). Requires Notes.app to be running. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Orchard MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on notes.list_notes? +

Register the Orchard MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for notes.list_notes: 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 Orchard. Nothing to install.

What risk level is notes.list_notes? +

notes.list_notes is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit notes.list_notes? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the notes.list_notes 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 notes.list_notes completely? +

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

notes.list_notes is provided by the Orchard MCP server (l22-io/orchard-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Orchard tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →