find_elements · Uiautomation MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What find_elements does on Uiautomation

AI agents invoke find_elements to trigger actions in Uiautomation. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why find_elements needs a policy

The description is empty, so classification relies on context. 'find_elements' most likely queries/searches the UI tree for elements, which would be a Read operation. However, given the server's purpose of UI automation and the presence of action-performing siblings, there's some possibility it could trigger side effects.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'find_elements' on a server described as enabling UI automation including 'exploring UI trees, checking properties, performing actions like clicking and typing'. Sibling tools include 'perform_action', 'activate_window', 'capture_screenshot'.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

find_elements Rate-limited

find_elements stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "find_elements": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "find_elements_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Uiautomation, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about find_elements

What does the find_elements tool do? +

find_elements. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Uiautomation MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on find_elements? +

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

What risk level is find_elements? +

find_elements is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit find_elements? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the find_elements 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_elements completely? +

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

find_elements is provided by the Uiautomation MCP server (miloira/uiautomation-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.