openspec_approve_change

THE RISK

Medium Risk

Why openspec_approve_change needs a policy

This tool modifies the state of a change by marking it approved, which is a reversible write operation (approval can typically be undone or superseded by new review). It does not permanently delete data (Destructive), execute arbitrary code (Execute), or move funds (Financial).

From the tool's definition Tool name 'openspec_approve_change' and description 'Approve a change' indicate modification of change/proposal state. Context shows this is part of approval workflow system within spec-driven development platform.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access openspec_approve_change gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control openspec_approve_change

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

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "openspec_approve_change": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "openspec_approve_change_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

openspec_approve_change stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register OpenSpec MCP — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More OpenSpec MCP tools

Execute openspec_setup_hooks Install or uninstall OpenSpec Git hooks Write openspec_record_revision Record a design revision when fixing bugs or adjusting design that deviates from the origi Write openspec_reply_review Reply to a review comment Write openspec_request_approval Request approval for a change Write openspec_sync_revisions Sync recorded revisions to design.md or proposal.md before archiving Write openspec_add_review Add a review comment to a change or spec Write openspec_archive_change Archive a completed change proposal. Automatically syncs revisions to design.md before arc Write openspec_batch_update_tasks Batch update multiple task statuses in a change

All 40 OpenSpec MCP tools →

Write tools on other servers

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Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Argument validation → Checking tool call arguments against schema and policy before they run.
Scoped token → Per-person credentials that grant a defined subset of servers and tools.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about openspec_approve_change

What does the openspec_approve_change tool do? +

Approve a change. It is categorised as a Write tool in the OpenSpec MCP MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on openspec_approve_change? +

Register the OpenSpec MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for openspec_approve_change: 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 OpenSpec MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is openspec_approve_change? +

openspec_approve_change is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit openspec_approve_change? +

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

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

openspec_approve_change is provided by the OpenSpec MCP server (lumiaqian/openspec-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every OpenSpec MCP tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →