terminal-close · TermSSH MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What terminal-close does on TermSSH MCP

AI agents use terminal-close to create or update resources in TermSSH MCP — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your TermSSH MCP environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why terminal-close needs a policy

An AI agent can call terminal-close faster than any human can review — one bad instruction and it creates or modifies resources in TermSSH MCP by the hundred, each call as confident as the last.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

terminal-close Rate-limited

terminal-close 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": {
    "terminal-close": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "terminal-close_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 TermSSH MCP, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about terminal-close

What does the terminal-close tool do? +

Close an interactive terminal session locally. The remote marker file is left for the server-side watcher to clean up if it is still present. It is categorised as a Write tool in the TermSSH MCP MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on terminal-close? +

Register the TermSSH MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for terminal-close: 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 TermSSH MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is terminal-close? +

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

Can I rate-limit terminal-close? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the terminal-close 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 terminal-close completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for terminal-close. 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 terminal-close? +

terminal-close is provided by the TermSSH MCP server (rayss868/termssh-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.