family_invite · Old Family Recipe MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What family_invite does on Old Family Recipe

AI agents use family_invite to create or update resources in Old Family Recipe — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Old Family Recipe environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why family_invite needs a policy

This tool creates new access records (invitations/memberships) in the cookbook system, which is a reversible write operation. While it modifies permissions rather than recipe data directly, it materially changes the state of the application by granting users access rights and roles.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Invite a family member to your cookbook' and grants permission levels ('viewer' or 'editor'), indicating it creates or modifies access control records and cookbook membership.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

family_invite Rate-limited

family_invite stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "family_invite": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "family_invite_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Old Family Recipe, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about family_invite

What does the family_invite tool do? +

Invite a family member to your cookbook. They can view recipes (viewer) or view and add (editor). It is categorised as a Write tool in the Old Family Recipe MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on family_invite? +

Register the Old Family Recipe MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for family_invite: 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 Old Family Recipe. Nothing to install.

What risk level is family_invite? +

family_invite is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit family_invite? +

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

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

family_invite is provided by the Old Family Recipe MCP server (oldfamilyrecipe/ai). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.