mouse_click

THE RISK

High Risk

Why mouse_click needs a policy

Mouse click injection is an Execute-category action: it triggers arbitrary UI interactions on the desktop whose effects depend entirely on what is at the target coordinates. An AI agent could click buttons, confirm dialogs, launch applications, or activate destructive actions. The blast radius is high because the agent can interact with any visible UI element across the entire desktop session.

From the tool's definition 'Click at screen coordinates' with button options (left/middle/right) — injects mouse input events into the live desktop session

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

POLICY

How to control mouse_click

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 mouse_click:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "mouse_click": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "mouse_click_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

mouse_click 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.

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.

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More GNOME Desktop MCP tools

Destructive cleanup_screenshots Remove all temporary screenshot files. Destructive close_window Close a window. Execute activate_workspace Switch to a workspace by index (0-based). Execute focus_window Focus and raise a window. Execute key_combo Press a key combination. Execute key_press Press and release a single key. Execute minimize_window Minimize a window. Execute mouse_double_click Double-click at screen coordinates.

All 30 GNOME Desktop MCP tools →

Execute tools on other servers

Android Forensics ADB MCP Server adb_shell_command EMBA-MCP run_emba_scan Frida Game Hacking MCP remove_breakpoint Procmon request_elevation

Go deeper

High-risk tools in GNOME Desktop MCP → Every high-risk tool this server exposes, in one view.
All high-risk MCP tools → Every high-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.
Agent sandbox → Bounding what an agent can execute and where the boundary should sit.
Least privilege for MCP → Granting agents the minimum tool surface the task needs.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about mouse_click

What does the mouse_click tool do? +

Click at screen coordinates. button: 1=left, 2=middle, 3=right. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the GNOME Desktop 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 mouse_click? +

Register the GNOME Desktop MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for mouse_click: 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 mouse_click? +

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

Can I rate-limit mouse_click? +

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

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

mouse_click 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 →