AI agents call get_active_document to retrieve information from PDF Tools without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves or queries state (the active document/toolkit) without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing external operations. It is a read-only informational tool with minimal blast radius if misused by an AI agent.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_active_document' and description 'Return the toolkit' indicate a retrieval operation with no modification or side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_active_document gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and PDF Tools, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_active_document:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_active_document": {}
}
}get_active_document is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Return the toolkit. It is categorised as a Read tool in the PDF Tools MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the PDF Tools MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_active_document: 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 PDF Tools. Nothing to install.
get_active_document 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_document 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_document. 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_document is provided by the PDF Tools MCP server (open-document-alliance/pdf-tools). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 36 PDF Tools tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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36 PDF Tools tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.