acknowledge_task · Agent Bus MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What acknowledge_task does on Agent Bus

AI agents use acknowledge_task to create or update resources in Agent Bus — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Agent Bus environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why acknowledge_task needs a policy

This tool modifies the state of a task (transitioning it to claimed/declined/blocked) and sends a notification receipt. It creates/updates data reversibly on the message bus without executing code, deleting data, or involving financial transactions.

From the tool's definition Acknowledge an assigned task as claimed, declined, or blocked. Sends a receipt back to the requester.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

acknowledge_task Rate-limited

acknowledge_task 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

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

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

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

FAQ

Questions about acknowledge_task

What does the acknowledge_task tool do? +

Acknowledge an assigned task as claimed, declined, or blocked. Sends a receipt back to the requester. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Agent Bus MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on acknowledge_task? +

Register the Agent Bus MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for acknowledge_task: 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 Agent Bus. Nothing to install.

What risk level is acknowledge_task? +

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

Can I rate-limit acknowledge_task? +

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

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

acknowledge_task is provided by the Agent Bus MCP server (mustaphasteph/agent-bus). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.