affinity_launch · Affinity MCP Server MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What affinity_launch does on Affinity MCP Server

AI agents invoke affinity_launch to trigger actions in Affinity MCP Server. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why affinity_launch needs a policy

Launching applications is an Execute-level action because it runs external processes with side effects that depend on arguments and system state. The moderate severity reflects that while launching Affinity itself is not inherently dangerous, an AI agent could trigger unintended application startup, resource consumption, or interference with user workflows.

From the tool's definition Tool launches an application (Affinity app) via AppleScript/System Events, triggering external operations whose side effects depend on system state (whether app is already running).

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

affinity_launch Rate-limited

affinity_launch 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

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

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Affinity MCP Server, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about affinity_launch

What does the affinity_launch tool do? +

Launch Affinity app if not already running. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Affinity MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on affinity_launch? +

Register the Affinity MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for affinity_launch: 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 Affinity MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is affinity_launch? +

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

Can I rate-limit affinity_launch? +

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

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

affinity_launch is provided by the Affinity MCP Server MCP server (sekharmalla/affinity-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.