List all open windows visible to the screen capture backend. Returns a list of objects with title, app_name, and window_id fields. Note: Multiple windows may appear for the same app (e.g., tabs, child frames). When in doubt about which window the user wants, ask for clarification before capturing.
AI agents call list_windows to retrieve information from Pipecat MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool enumerates window metadata (title, app_name, window_id) from the screen capture backend. It performs a read-only query with no side effects, no code execution, and no data modification. The blast radius is minimal: worst case, an AI agent learns which windows are open on the system, which is informational only. Classified as Read with low severity.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_windows' and description 'List all open windows visible to the screen capture backend. Returns a list of objects with title, app_name, and window_id fields.' — this retrieves and queries information about open windows without modifying or…
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_windows gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Pipecat MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_windows:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_windows": {}
}
}list_windows is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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List all open windows visible to the screen capture backend. Returns a list of objects with title, app_name, and window_id fields. Note: Multiple windows may appear for the same app (e.g., tabs, child frames). When in doubt about which window the user wants, ask for clarification before capturing. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Pipecat MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Pipecat MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_windows: 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 Pipecat MCP Server. Nothing to install.
list_windows 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 list_windows 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 list_windows. 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.
list_windows is provided by the Pipecat MCP Server MCP server (pipecat-ai/pipecat-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 7 Pipecat MCP Server tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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7 Pipecat MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.