AI agents call RunningApps to retrieve information from OfficeMCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool queries the current state of running Microsoft Office applications and returns availability status. It is a passive information retrieval operation with no capability to modify, execute, delete, or move resources. The read category is appropriate as it merely reports on existing application state.
From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Get[s] Microsoft Office applications availability' - a pure retrieval/query operation with no side effects. No modifications, execution, or destructive actions are performed.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access RunningApps gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and OfficeMCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for RunningApps:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"RunningApps": {}
}
}RunningApps is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get Microsoft Office applications availability. It is categorised as a Read tool in the OfficeMCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Office MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for RunningApps: 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 OfficeMCP. Nothing to install.
RunningApps 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 RunningApps 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 RunningApps. 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.
RunningApps is provided by the Office MCP server (officemcp/officemcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 16 OfficeMCP tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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16 OfficeMCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.