Captures a screenshot of the screen, display, window, or region. Auto-resized to max 1600px and compressed to max 1.8MB for API compatibility (both file and base64 output). Use rawFile: true to save at full resolution, or maxDimension/maxFileSize: 0 to disable processing
AI agents call take_screenshot to retrieve information from Mac without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Screenshot capture is a passive observation operation with no side effects, state changes, or irreversible actions. It reads screen content only. While screenshots could theoretically expose sensitive information (lowering severity from negligible), the tool itself performs only a Read operation.
From the tool's definition Tool 'Captures a screenshot of the screen, display, window, or region' — retrieves visual information from the display without modifying, deleting, or executing code. Output is read-only (screenshot data).
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Captures a screenshot of the screen, display, window, or region. Auto-resized to max 1600px and compressed to max 1.8MB for API compatibility (both file and base64 output). Use rawFile: true to save at full resolution, or maxDimension/maxFileSize: 0 to disable processing. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mac MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Mac MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for take_screenshot: 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 Mac. Nothing to install.
take_screenshot 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 take_screenshot 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 take_screenshot. 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.
take_screenshot is provided by the Mac MCP server (laststance/mac-mcp-server). 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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