wake_agent · Agent Bus MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What wake_agent does on Agent Bus

AI agents use wake_agent 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 wake_agent needs a policy

This tool modifies the state of an agent (changes its status from sleeping to idle), which is a reversible write operation. Misuse could disrupt agent workflows by waking agents unexpectedly, but it does not execute code, delete data, or have financial implications.

From the tool's definition Wake a sleeping agent by setting status to idle

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

wake_agent Rate-limited

wake_agent 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": {
    "wake_agent": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "wake_agent_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 wake_agent

What does the wake_agent tool do? +

Wake a sleeping agent by setting status to idle. 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 wake_agent? +

Register the Agent Bus MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for wake_agent: 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 wake_agent? +

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

Can I rate-limit wake_agent? +

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

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

wake_agent 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.