AI agents call get-attachments to retrieve information from iMessage MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves existing message attachments from the local iMessage database without modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. It falls squarely into the Read category as a data retrieval function. The severity is low because unauthorized access would expose message attachments but carries no destructive or execution risks. Confidence is high due to clear retrieval semantics.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get-attachments' and description 'Get messages that have file attachments' indicate data retrieval with no modification. The verb 'Get' and the server description stating 'reading, searching, and sending iMessages' confirm this is a query operation.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get-attachments gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and iMessage MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get-attachments:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get-attachments": {}
}
}get-attachments is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get messages that have file attachments. It is categorised as a Read tool in the iMessage MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the iMessage MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get-attachments: 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 iMessage MCP Server. Nothing to install.
get-attachments is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get-attachments 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.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get-attachments. 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.
get-attachments is provided by the iMessage MCP Server MCP server (sameelarif/imessage-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from iMessage MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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14 iMessage MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.