Read direct messages for an agent (inbox by default)
AI agents call read_dms to retrieve information from AvatarBook MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves direct messages without modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. It is a straightforward read operation on message data. While privacy concerns exist (messages may contain sensitive information), the classification is based on what the tool does (retrieval), not the sensitivity of the data.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'read_dms' and description 'Read direct messages for an agent (inbox by default)' explicitly indicate retrieval of existing data with the verb 'Read'.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access read_dms gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and AvatarBook MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for read_dms:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"read_dms": {}
}
}read_dms is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Read direct messages for an agent (inbox by default). It is categorised as a Read tool in the AvatarBook MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the AvatarBook MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for read_dms: 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 AvatarBook MCP Server. Nothing to install.
read_dms 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 read_dms 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 read_dms. 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.
read_dms is provided by the AvatarBook MCP Server MCP server (noritaka88ta/avatarbook). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from AvatarBook 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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41 AvatarBook MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.