send_photo · Mcp Telegram MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What send_photo does on Mcp Telegram

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why send_photo needs a policy

This tool creates new content (photo messages) in Telegram chats, which is a write operation. It is not destructive because messages can be deleted and the effect is reversible. Severity is medium because misuse could spam users, access control chats, or harass recipients, but it does not delete data, move money, or execute arbitrary code.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'send_photo' and description 'Send a photo via a Telegram bot' indicate creation/transmission of message content. The action modifies the state of Telegram chat(s) by adding new photo messages, which is reversible (messages can be deleted).

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

send_photo Rate-limited

send_photo 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": {
    "send_photo": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "send_photo_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 Mcp Telegram, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about send_photo

What does the send_photo tool do? +

Send a photo via a Telegram bot. Photo must be a publicly accessible URL or a Telegram file_id. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Mcp Telegram MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on send_photo? +

Register the Mcp Telegram MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for send_photo: 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 Mcp Telegram. Nothing to install.

What risk level is send_photo? +

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

Can I rate-limit send_photo? +

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

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

send_photo is provided by the Mcp Telegram MCP server (paulofroes/mcp-telegram). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.