Retrieve detailed information about the currently focused/active window including its title, position, dimensions, and calculated center point. Essential for understanding current user context and determining which application is receiving input. Returns JSON with window title, x/y coordinates, w...
AI agents call get_active_window to retrieve information from macOS Simulator MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool only queries and returns information about the active window state (title, position, dimensions, center point). It is purely informational with no ability to modify, execute commands, delete data, or trigger external operations. The description emphasizes its use as a context-checking tool before other actions, but the tool itself performs only read operations.
From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Retrieve[s] detailed information about the currently focused/active window' with 'No parameter' and explicitly performs passive retrieval: 'Returns JSON with window title, x/y coordinates, width/height, and center coordinates.' No…
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_active_window gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and macOS Simulator MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_active_window:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_active_window": {}
}
}get_active_window is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Retrieve detailed information about the currently focused/active window including its title, position, dimensions, and calculated center point. Essential for understanding current user context and determining which application is receiving input. Returns JSON with window title, x/y coordinates, width/height, and center coordinates for precise interaction. Useful for confirming correct window focus before automation actions, or for getting coordinates relative to the active window. Commonly used before click or type_text operations to ensure actions target the intended application. No parameters required. It is categorised as a Read tool in the macOS Simulator MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the macOS Simulator MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_active_window: 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 macOS Simulator MCP Server. Nothing to install.
get_active_window 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 get_active_window 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 get_active_window. 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.
get_active_window is provided by the macOS Simulator MCP Server MCP server (ohqay/mac-commander). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from macOS Simulator 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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28 macOS Simulator MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.