cleanup_temp_directories

THE RISK

Critical Risk

Why cleanup_temp_directories needs a policy

Cleaning up directories involves deleting files and folders permanently. While the description specifies 'temporary directories created by Claude Code', the act of removing directories and their contents is irreversible. If the tool misidentifies or broadly scopes what counts as 'temporary', it could destroy important data. This qualifies as Destructive given the permanent nature of deletion operations.

From the tool's definition 'Clean up temporary directories' - cleanup operations are irreversible deletions of directory contents

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access cleanup_temp_directories gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control cleanup_temp_directories

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Obsidian Ai Curator, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for cleanup_temp_directories:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "hide": [
    "cleanup_temp_directories"
  ]
}

cleanup_temp_directories disappears from the agent's tool list entirely, and any attempt to call it is denied. The rest of the server keeps working.

Create a free account and register Obsidian Ai Curator — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

RESTRICT THIS TOOL →

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EXPLORE

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All 27 Obsidian Ai Curator tools →

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Go deeper

Critical-risk tools in Obsidian Ai Curator → Every critical-risk tool this server exposes, in one view.
All critical-risk MCP tools → Every critical-risk tool across the catalogue, and the policy pattern that contains them.
The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Blast radius → How much damage one compromised or confused agent can do — and how to bound it.
Tool call approval → Approval gates on individual tool calls: auto-allow, prompt, or deny.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about cleanup_temp_directories

What does the cleanup_temp_directories tool do? +

Clean up temporary directories created by Claude Code. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Obsidian Ai Curator MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.

How do I enforce a policy on cleanup_temp_directories? +

Register the Obsidian Ai Curator MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for cleanup_temp_directories: 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 Ai Curator. Nothing to install.

What risk level is cleanup_temp_directories? +

cleanup_temp_directories is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.

Can I rate-limit cleanup_temp_directories? +

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

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

cleanup_temp_directories is provided by the Obsidian Ai Curator MCP server (nwant/obsidian-ai-curator). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Obsidian Ai Curator tool call.

Start from Obsidian Ai Curator, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

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