cleanup_screenshots

THE RISK

Critical Risk

Why cleanup_screenshots needs a policy

This tool permanently deletes screenshot files without recovery option. Although the scope is limited to temporary screenshots (reducing severity slightly from critical), the irreversible nature of file deletion and the potential for an AI agent to inadvertently destroy user-captured screenshots, evidence, or debugging materials makes this Destructive. A misdirected call could result in permanent data loss.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'cleanup_screenshots' combined with description 'Remove all temporary screenshot files' indicates irreversible deletion of files. The verb 'Remove' and the scope 'all' denote a destructive operation that cannot be undone.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access cleanup_screenshots gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control cleanup_screenshots

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and GNOME Desktop MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for cleanup_screenshots:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "hide": [
    "cleanup_screenshots"
  ]
}

cleanup_screenshots disappears from the agent's tool list entirely, and any attempt to call it is denied. The rest of the server keeps working.

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

RESTRICT THIS TOOL →

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EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More GNOME Desktop MCP tools

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All 30 GNOME Desktop MCP tools →

Destructive tools on other servers

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Go deeper

Critical-risk tools in GNOME Desktop MCP → Every critical-risk tool this server exposes, in one view.
All critical-risk MCP tools → Every critical-risk tool across the catalogue, and the policy pattern that contains them.
The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Blast radius → How much damage one compromised or confused agent can do — and how to bound it.
Tool call approval → Approval gates on individual tool calls: auto-allow, prompt, or deny.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about cleanup_screenshots

What does the cleanup_screenshots tool do? +

Remove all temporary screenshot files. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the GNOME Desktop MCP MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.

How do I enforce a policy on cleanup_screenshots? +

Register the GNOME Desktop MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for cleanup_screenshots: 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 GNOME Desktop MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is cleanup_screenshots? +

cleanup_screenshots is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.

Can I rate-limit cleanup_screenshots? +

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

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

cleanup_screenshots is provided by the GNOME Desktop MCP server (sbuysse/gnome-desktop-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every GNOME Desktop MCP tool call.

Start from GNOME Desktop MCP, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →