media_control · Sysprobe MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What media_control does on Sysprobe

AI agents invoke media_control to trigger actions in Sysprobe. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why media_control needs a policy

This tool triggers external operations (media playback control) on the system. It causes side effects by controlling media player state, which qualifies as Execute rather than Write since it's triggering an external operation/system action rather than creating/modifying data. The blast radius is moderate — misuse could disrupt active media sessions but has no data destruction or financial risk.

From the tool's definition [ACTION] Control playback: play/pause/play-pause/next/previous/stop

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

media_control Rate-limited

media_control stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "media_control": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "media_control_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

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

FAQ

Questions about media_control

What does the media_control tool do? +

[ACTION] Control playback: play/pause/play-pause/next/previous/stop. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Sysprobe MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on media_control? +

Register the Sysprobe MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for media_control: 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 Sysprobe. Nothing to install.

What risk level is media_control? +

media_control is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit media_control? +

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

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

media_control is provided by the Sysprobe MCP server (raindancer118/sysprobe-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.