AI agents use update-category to create or update resources in PI API MCP Server — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your PI API MCP Server environment.
This tool creates or modifies data in a reversible manner, fitting the Write category. Severity is medium because unauthorized category updates could alter dashboard organization and potentially impact other users' views, but changes are not irreversible and do not involve deletion, code execution, or financial operations. High confidence due to clear evidence from the tool name and description.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'update-category' and description 'Update an existing category' indicate modification of existing data within PI Dashboard resources.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access update-category gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and PI API MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for update-category:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"update-category": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "update-category_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}update-category 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.
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Update an existing category. It is categorised as a Write tool in the PI API MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the PI API MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for update-category: 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 PI API MCP Server. Nothing to install.
update-category is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the update-category 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.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for update-category. 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.
update-category is provided by the PI API MCP Server MCP server (mingzilla/pi-api-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from PI API MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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18 PI API MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.