restart · Windows Operations MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What restart does on Windows Operations MCP

AI agents invoke restart to trigger actions in Windows Operations 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 restart needs a policy

Restarting a Windows system is an Execute action—it triggers an external operation (OS-level restart) whose effects are deterministic but significant. While not irreversibly destructive, a system restart disrupts all running processes and services, causing operational downtime. This is more severe than Write (which modifies data reversibly) but not Destructive in the sense of data loss.

From the tool's definition Tool named 'restart' on a Windows Operations MCP server described as enabling 'system management' and 'Windows automation'. Given the context of PowerShell/CMD execution and system administration, 'restart' almost certainly triggers a system restart operation.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

restart Rate-limited

restart 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": {
    "restart": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "restart_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

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PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Windows Operations MCP, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about restart

What does the restart tool do? +

restart. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Windows Operations 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 restart? +

Register the Windows Operations MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for restart: 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 Windows Operations MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is restart? +

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

Can I rate-limit restart? +

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

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

restart is provided by the Windows Operations MCP server (sandraschi/windows-operations-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.