send_media

THE RISK

Medium Risk

Why send_media needs a policy

This tool sends media content to WhatsApp contacts or groups. It creates new messages with media attachments, which is a Write operation. Severity is high because an AI agent could misuse it to send unsolicited or malicious media to arbitrary contacts or groups, potentially causing reputational, legal, or privacy harm at scale.

From the tool's definition Send media (image, video, document, audio) via WhatsApp

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

POLICY

How to control send_media

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

policy.json

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

send_media 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 Mcp Whatsapp Web — 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 Mcp Whatsapp Web tools

Destructive logout Logout from WhatsApp and clear the current session Write send_message Send a WhatsApp text message to a person or group. Read check_auth_status Check if the WhatsApp client is authenticated and connected Read download_media Download media from a WhatsApp message and return its content. Read get_chat_by_id Get WhatsApp chat metadata by JID. Read get_contact_by_id Get contact details by JID. Read get_direct_chat_by_contact_number Get direct WhatsApp chat JID by contact phone number (less reliable, use get_chat_by_id if Read get_last_interaction Get the most recent message involving a specific contact or group JID.

All 16 Mcp Whatsapp Web tools →

Write tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server download_torrent YouTube MCP Server generate_video_title Android Forensics ADB MCP Server combine_reports 0xarchive web3_signup

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 send_media

What does the send_media tool do? +

Send media (image, video, document, audio) via WhatsApp. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Mcp Whatsapp Web MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on send_media? +

Register the Mcp Whatsapp Web MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for send_media: 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 Whatsapp Web. Nothing to install.

What risk level is send_media? +

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

Can I rate-limit send_media? +

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

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

send_media is provided by the Mcp Whatsapp Web MCP server (mario-andreschak/mcp-whatsapp-web). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Mcp Whatsapp Web tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →