send-file

THE RISK

Medium Risk

Why send-file needs a policy

This tool creates new iMessage data (outbound messages with attachments) and modifies the conversation state by adding sender-side message records. While irreversible in practice (messages cannot truly be unsent), the primary action is creation/transmission rather than destruction.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'send-file' and description 'Send a file attachment to a recipient' directly indicate data transmission and creation of new message artifacts in the iMessage system.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access send-file gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control send-file

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 send-file:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "send-file": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "send-file_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

send-file 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.

Create a free account and register iMessage MCP Server — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More iMessage MCP Server tools

Write send-files Send multiple files to a recipient Write send-image Send an image to a recipient Write send-message Send a text message to a phone number or email Read find-contact Search for a contact by name and get their phone number. Use this FIRST when the user ment Read get-attachments Get messages that have file attachments Read get-chat-messages Get messages from a specific chat by chat ID (useful for group chats) Read get-conversation Get the full conversation history with a specific contact Read get-conversation-attachments Get all attachments from a conversation with a specific contact

All 14 iMessage MCP Server tools →

Write tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server download_torrent YouTube MCP Server generate_video_title Android Forensics ADB MCP Server combine_reports 0xarchive web3_signup

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Argument validation → Checking tool call arguments against schema and policy before they run.
Scoped token → Per-person credentials that grant a defined subset of servers and tools.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about send-file

What does the send-file tool do? +

Send a file attachment to a recipient. It is categorised as a Write tool in the iMessage MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on send-file? +

Register the iMessage MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for send-file: 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.

What risk level is send-file? +

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

Can I rate-limit send-file? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the send-file 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 send-file completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for send-file. 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 send-file? +

send-file 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.

Enforce policy on every iMessage MCP Server tool call.

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.

CHECK YOUR STACK →