vm_terminate

THE RISK

Critical Risk

Why vm_terminate needs a policy

The tool explicitly states 'permanent destruction' of a VM instance. This is irreversible — once a VM is terminated, all running processes and ephemeral data are lost. This is a textbook Destructive action with critical severity given the blast radius of destroying an entire virtual machine instance.

From the tool's definition Terminate a VM instance (permanent destruction)

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

POLICY

How to control vm_terminate

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

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "hide": [
    "vm_terminate"
  ]
}

vm_terminate disappears from the agent's tool list entirely, and any attempt to call it is denied. The rest of the server keeps working.

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

RESTRICT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More tmux-claude MCP Server tools

Destructive terminate Terminate a Claude instance and optionally its children Execute executeParallel Execute multiple tasks in parallel using Specialist instances (Manager only) Execute restart Restart a dead instance using --continue flag Execute vm_start Start a stopped VM instance Execute vm_stop Stop a running VM instance Execute distributeWork Distribute tasks across multiple Managers (Executive only) Execute enhancedSend Send a message with queuing and guaranteed delivery Execute merge_manager_work Coordinate merge of manager work back to main branch (Executive only)

All 26 tmux-claude MCP Server tools →

Destructive tools on other servers

Android Forensics ADB MCP Server create_full_backup 0xarchive web3_revoke_key Frida Game Hacking MCP clear_scan cPanel MCP Server clear_spam_box

Go deeper

Critical-risk tools in tmux-claude MCP Server → Every critical-risk tool this server exposes, in one view.
All critical-risk MCP tools → Every critical-risk tool across the catalogue, and the policy pattern that contains them.
The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Blast radius → How much damage one compromised or confused agent can do — and how to bound it.
Tool call approval → Approval gates on individual tool calls: auto-allow, prompt, or deny.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about vm_terminate

What does the vm_terminate tool do? +

Terminate a VM instance (permanent destruction). It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the tmux-claude MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.

How do I enforce a policy on vm_terminate? +

Register the tmux-claude MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for vm_terminate: 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 tmux-claude MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is vm_terminate? +

vm_terminate is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.

Can I rate-limit vm_terminate? +

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

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

vm_terminate is provided by the tmux-claude MCP Server MCP server (michael-abdo/tmux-claude-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every tmux-claude MCP Server tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →