sessions · iTerm MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What sessions does on iTerm MCP

AI agents invoke sessions to trigger actions in iTerm MCP. 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 sessions needs a policy

Session management for a terminal application like iTerm2 falls under Execute because it allows orchestration and control of terminal environments where arbitrary commands can be run.

From the tool's definition Tool 'sessions' on iTerm MCP server that 'Controls iTerm2 terminal sessions with multi-pane support, allowing parallel command execution, session management' — managing terminal sessions inherently enables command execution and control of shell environments.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

sessions Rate-limited

sessions 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": {
    "sessions": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "sessions_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 iTerm MCP, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about sessions

What does the sessions tool do? +

sessions. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the iTerm MCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on sessions? +

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

What risk level is sessions? +

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

Can I rate-limit sessions? +

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

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

sessions is provided by the iTerm MCP server (research-developer/iterm-mcp-claude-agency). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.