delete_footnote
Delete a footnote and its in-body reference.
This record as markdown: /tools/securityronin-docx-mcp/delete-footnote.md
What delete_footnote does on Docx
AI agents call delete_footnote to permanently remove resources in Docx, typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.
Why delete_footnote is rated Critical
This tool permanently removes footnote content and associated references from the document. Deletion is irreversible—once removed, the footnote cannot be recovered through the tool's normal interface. While the severity is not critical (footnotes are typically ancillary content rather than primary document data), the destructive nature is unambiguous, placing this in the Destructive category above Write.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'delete_footnote' and description states 'Delete a footnote and its in-body reference.' The verb 'delete' combined with the irreversible removal of document content (footnote and its reference) clearly indicates destructive action.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs delete_footnote safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Docx, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For delete_footnote, this is the rule to start with:
delete_footnote is removed from the agent's tool list entirely, so the agent never calls it. The rest of the server keeps working.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Docx, apply this rule, and every delete_footnote call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about delete_footnote
Delete a footnote and its in-body reference. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Docx MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.
Register the Docx MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for delete_footnote: 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 Docx. Nothing to install.
delete_footnote is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the delete_footnote 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 delete_footnote. 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.
delete_footnote is provided by the Docx MCP server (securityronin/docx-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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