Search for content within notes
AI agents call search_notes to retrieve information from Obsidian Nexus without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and queries note content without modifying, deleting, or executing code. It is a pure read operation with no side effects. Even if search returns sensitive information from notes, the misuse impact is limited to information disclosure rather than data modification, deletion, or financial harm. Severity is low because searching notes is a non-destructive query operation.
From the tool's definition Tool description explicitly states 'Search for content within notes' and tool name is 'search_notes'. Server description confirms the system 'enables reading, writing, searching, and intelligent organization of markdown notes', positioning search as a read…
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Search for content within notes. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Obsidian Nexus MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Obsidian Nexus MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_notes: 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 Obsidian Nexus. Nothing to install.
search_notes is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_notes 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 search_notes. 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.
search_notes is provided by the Obsidian Nexus MCP server (nkriman/obsidian-nexus). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
Teams ship this data inside their own products. See what a licence covers →