Medium Risk

create_directory

Create a new directory in your notes.

How to control create_directory ↓

What create_directory does on MCP Notes

AI agents use create_directory to create or update resources in MCP Notes — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your MCP Notes environment.

Medium Risk

Why create_directory needs a policy

Creating a directory modifies the file system structure in the notes system but is a reversible action (directories can be deleted). This is a Write operation rather than Execute because it does not run arbitrary commands or code—it merely creates a named directory. The severity is low because the blast radius of misuse is limited to organizational structure; no data loss or system-level impact occurs.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'create_directory' and description 'Create a new directory in your notes' explicitly indicate creating a new directory structure, which is a reversible write operation.

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

How to control create_directory

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

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "create_directory": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "create_directory_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

create_directory 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.

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

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Questions about create_directory

What does the create_directory tool do? +

Create a new directory in your notes. It is categorised as a Write tool in the MCP Notes MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on create_directory? +

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

What risk level is create_directory? +

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

Can I rate-limit create_directory? +

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

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

create_directory is provided by the MCP Notes MCP server (markacianfrani/mcp-notes). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every MCP Notes tool call.

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

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9 MCP Notes tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.

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