cursor_handoff_task

THE RISK

Medium Risk

Why cursor_handoff_task needs a policy

This tool creates or modifies handoff records (context data for task delegation) in a reversible manner. It does not execute external operations, delete data, or move money. While it affects coordination state, the primary action is writing structured data.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Write a structured handoff' which explicitly indicates data creation/modification. The term 'handoff' involves composing and storing task context information that other agents will read.

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

POLICY

How to control cursor_handoff_task

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

policy.json

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

cursor_handoff_task 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 Agent Orchestration — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

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EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Agent Orchestration tools

Destructive memory_delete Delete a value from shared memory. Destructive agent_unregister Unregister this agent and release all held locks. Call at the end of your session. Execute bootstrap Initialize agent session: register (if needed), get current focus, pending tasks, and rece Execute cursor_recover_task Recover a failed or stale delegated Cursor task by relaunching it with the latest shared c Execute lock_acquire Acquire a lock on a resource to prevent concurrent access. Write claim_todo FOR SUB-AGENTS: Register yourself AND claim a specific task in one call. Use this when you Write cursor_delegate_task Delegate a task to Cursor CLI and store session metadata for later resume/sync. Write cursor_sync_task Refresh a delegated Cursor task, sync the latest provider status, and persist knowledge ba

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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 cursor_handoff_task

What does the cursor_handoff_task tool do? +

Write a structured handoff for a delegated Cursor task so the next agent can resume with shared context. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Agent Orchestration MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on cursor_handoff_task? +

Register the Agent Orchestration MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for cursor_handoff_task: 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 Agent Orchestration. Nothing to install.

What risk level is cursor_handoff_task? +

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

Can I rate-limit cursor_handoff_task? +

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

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

cursor_handoff_task is provided by the Agent Orchestration MCP server (madebyaris/agent-orchestration). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Agent Orchestration tool call.

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

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