Update the text of an existing footnote.
AI agents use update_footnote to create or update resources in Docx — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Docx environment.
This tool modifies existing document data (footnote text) in a reversible manner, fitting the Write category definition of creating or modifying data reversibly. The blast radius is medium because unintended footnote modifications could alter document meaning and require manual review/correction, but the change is not irreversible.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'update_footnote' and description 'Update the text of an existing footnote' indicate modification of document content. The operation is reversible—the previous footnote text can be restored—distinguishing it from destructive deletion.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access update_footnote gives an agent:
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 update_footnote:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"update_footnote": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "update_footnote_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}update_footnote stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Update the text of an existing footnote. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Docx MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Docx MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for update_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.
update_footnote is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the update_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 update_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.
update_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.
Start from Docx, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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219 Docx tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.