find_and_replace

THE RISK

Medium Risk

Why find_and_replace needs a policy

This tool modifies document content by replacing text, which is a reversible write operation. While it could overwrite important content, the change is not inherently irreversible (documents can be restored or the replacement reversed), placing it in the Write category. Severity is medium because a broad find-and-replace could corrupt significant portions of a document if misused.

From the tool's definition Find and replace text in the document — modifies existing document content by substituting matched text with replacement text

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

POLICY

How to control find_and_replace

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

policy.json

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

find_and_replace 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 Doc/docx — 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 →

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EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Doc/docx tools

Destructive delete_paragraph Delete specified paragraph from document Parameters: - paragraph_index: Parag Destructive delete_table_row Delete a row from table Parameters: - table_index: Table index - row_inde Destructive delete_text Delete specified text from paragraph Parameters: - paragraph_index: Paragraph Write search_and_replace Search and replace text in the document, providing detailed replacement information and pr Write add_heading Add heading to document Parameters: - text: Heading text - level: Heading Write add_page_break Add page break Write add_paragraph Add paragraph text to document Parameters: - text: Paragraph text content Write add_table Add table to document Parameters: - rows: Number of rows - cols: Number o

All 23 Doc/docx 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 find_and_replace

What does the find_and_replace tool do? +

Find and replace text in the document Parameters: - find_text: Text to find - replace_text: Text to replace with. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Doc/docx MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on find_and_replace? +

Register the Doc/docx MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for find_and_replace: 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 Doc/docx. Nothing to install.

What risk level is find_and_replace? +

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

Can I rate-limit find_and_replace? +

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

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

find_and_replace is provided by the Doc/docx MCP server (meterlong/mcp-doc). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Doc/docx tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →