telemetry · iTerm MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What telemetry does on iTerm MCP

AI agents invoke telemetry 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 telemetry needs a policy

telemetry triggers real processes with real consequences. An agent gone sideways doesn't fire it once — it starts dozens of builds, sends mass notifications, or burns through compute before anyone looks up.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

telemetry Rate-limited

telemetry 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": {
    "telemetry": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "telemetry_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 telemetry

What does the telemetry tool do? +

telemetry. 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 telemetry? +

Register the iTerm MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for telemetry: 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 telemetry? +

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

Can I rate-limit telemetry? +

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

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

telemetry 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.