Critical Risk →

delete_image

Remove the drawing containing the image with the given rId from the document.

How to control delete_image ↓

What delete_image does on Docx

AI agents call delete_image 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.

Critical Risk

Why delete_image needs a policy

This tool permanently removes image assets from a Word document by their resource ID. The action cannot be easily undone programmatically and results in permanent loss of document content. While the blast radius is limited to a single image rather than the entire document, deletion operations are classified as Destructive per the schema rules.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'delete_image' and description 'Remove the drawing containing the image' explicitly describe irreversible deletion of document content.

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

How to control delete_image

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

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "hide": [
    "delete_image"
  ]
}

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

  1. Create a free account and register Docx — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
RESTRICT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

Related tools and policies

Go deeper

Questions about delete_image

What does the delete_image tool do? +

Remove the drawing containing the image with the given rId from the document. 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.

How do I enforce a policy on delete_image? +

Register the Docx MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for delete_image: 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.

What risk level is delete_image? +

delete_image 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 delete_image? +

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

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

delete_image 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.

Enforce policy on every Docx tool call.

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

Free to start. No card required.

219 Docx tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.

// GET IN TOUCH

Have a question or want to learn more? Send us a message.

Message sent.

We'll get back to you soon.