mark_paper · surveyHelper MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What mark_paper does on surveyHelper

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why mark_paper needs a policy

This tool creates or modifies state within the surveyHelper system by recording user actions on papers. It does not retrieve data (Read), execute external code (Execute), irreversibly delete data (Destructive), or handle financial operations (Financial). The impact is limited to local state management within the research tool, with low blast radius if misused by an agent—it would only create incorrect usage records.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Record what you did with a paper so surveyHelper remembers it' — the verb 'record' indicates data creation/modification.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

mark_paper Rate-limited

mark_paper 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": {
    "mark_paper": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "mark_paper_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 surveyHelper, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about mark_paper

What does the mark_paper tool do? +

Record what you did with a paper so surveyHelper remembers it. It is categorised as a Write tool in the surveyHelper MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on mark_paper? +

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

What risk level is mark_paper? +

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

Can I rate-limit mark_paper? +

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

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

mark_paper is provided by the surveyHelper MCP server (rich7420/surveyhelper). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.