bbs_wake · Mcp Bbs MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What bbs_wake does on Mcp Bbs

AI agents invoke bbs_wake to trigger actions in Mcp Bbs. 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 bbs_wake needs a policy

This tool triggers external operations on a remote BBS system by sending keystrokes/signals to wake an interactive terminal session. It causes side effects (screen state changes) on an external system, making it Execute. Severity is medium because it interacts with a live remote session and could trigger unintended navigation or actions depending on the BBS state.

From the tool's definition Send a sequence of wake keys until the screen changes or becomes nonblank

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

bbs_wake Rate-limited

bbs_wake 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": {
    "bbs_wake": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "bbs_wake_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 Mcp Bbs, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about bbs_wake

What does the bbs_wake tool do? +

Send a sequence of wake keys until the screen changes or becomes nonblank. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Mcp Bbs MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on bbs_wake? +

Register the Mcp Bbs MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for bbs_wake: 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 Mcp Bbs. Nothing to install.

What risk level is bbs_wake? +

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

Can I rate-limit bbs_wake? +

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

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

bbs_wake is provided by the Mcp Bbs MCP server (livingstaccato/mcp-bbs). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.