sleep · macOS Control MCP Server MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What sleep does on macOS Control MCP Server

AI agents invoke sleep to trigger actions in macOS Control MCP Server. 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 sleep needs a policy

The sleep tool pauses execution, which is an operational/execution-level action affecting timing and control flow. While not directly harmful on its own, it can be misused in automation contexts to delay detection or cause denial-of-service conditions. It fits Execute as it affects the running state of the automation process. Severity is low as pausing execution has limited blast radius on its own.

From the tool's definition 'Pause execution for a specified duration' - this tool controls execution flow by halting it

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

sleep Rate-limited

sleep 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": {
    "sleep": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "sleep_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 macOS Control MCP Server, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about sleep

What does the sleep tool do? +

Pause execution for a specified duration. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the macOS Control MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on sleep? +

Register the macOS Control MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for sleep: 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 macOS Control MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is sleep? +

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

Can I rate-limit sleep? +

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

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

sleep is provided by the macOS Control MCP Server MCP server (lodimup/macos-control-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.