AI agents call delete_email to permanently remove resources in IMAP MCP Server — typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.
This tool irreversibly removes email messages, which are data artifacts that cannot be recovered once deleted. While the blast radius is somewhat scoped to individual email accounts rather than critical infrastructure, deletion of emails can result in loss of important communications, evidence, or records. This is categorized as Destructive rather than Write because the operation is irreversible.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'delete_email' with description 'Delete email.' The verb 'delete' indicates irreversible removal of data. Email deletion cannot be undone in most IMAP implementations and represents permanent loss of correspondence.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access delete_email gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and IMAP MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for delete_email:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"hide": [
"delete_email"
]
}delete_email disappears from the agent's tool list entirely, and any attempt to call it is denied. The rest of the server keeps working.
Free to start. No card required.
Delete email. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the IMAP MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.
Register the IMAP MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for delete_email: 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 IMAP MCP Server. Nothing to install.
delete_email is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the delete_email 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 delete_email. 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.
delete_email is provided by the IMAP MCP Server MCP server (non-dirty/imap-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 16 IMAP MCP Server tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
16 IMAP MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.