read_note

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why read_note needs a policy

This tool retrieves data from a note file without modifying, deleting, or executing anything. It is a straightforward query operation on stored knowledge. The low severity reflects minimal risk—unauthorized read access to personal notes is a privacy concern but has no capability to alter data or trigger external operations.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'read_note' and description states it will 'Read the complete contents of a note file from your notes directory.' This is clearly a read operation with no side effects.

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

POLICY

How to control read_note

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 read_note:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "read_note": {}
  }
}

read_note is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

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

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More MCP Notes tools

Write rollup Synthesize my daily note to create an organized rollup of the most important notes with cl Write create_directory Create a new directory in your notes. Write log Create or update today Write write_note Create a new note or overwrite an existing note with content. Read evaluateInsight Evaluate the long-term value and significance of an insight or thought based on the follow Read list_directory List the contents of a directory in your notes. Read read_multiple_notes Read the contents of multiple note files simultaneously. Read search_files Recursively search for files and directories matching a pattern in your notes directory.

All 9 MCP Notes tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about read_note

What does the read_note tool do? +

Read the complete contents of a note file from your notes directory. It is categorised as a Read tool in the MCP Notes MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on read_note? +

Register the MCP Notes MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for read_note: 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 read_note? +

read_note is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit read_note? +

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

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

read_note 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.

CHECK YOUR STACK →