retire_focus

THE RISK

Critical Risk

Why retire_focus needs a policy

'Clears' implies irreversible removal of the current system focus entry. Since there is no indication this action is reversible or creates a backup, it falls under Destructive. Severity is medium because it affects a single focus entry rather than bulk data, but losing the current system focus context could disrupt agent operations.

From the tool's definition Clears the current system focus entry

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

POLICY

How to control retire_focus

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and M3 Memory, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for retire_focus:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "hide": [
    "retire_focus"
  ]
}

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

Create a free account and register M3 Memory — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

RESTRICT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More M3 Memory tools

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All 43 M3 Memory tools →

Destructive tools on other servers

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Go deeper

Critical-risk tools in M3 Memory → Every critical-risk tool this server exposes, in one view.
All critical-risk MCP tools → Every critical-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.
Blast radius → How much damage one compromised or confused agent can do — and how to bound it.
Tool call approval → Approval gates on individual tool calls: auto-allow, prompt, or deny.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about retire_focus

What does the retire_focus tool do? +

Clears the current system focus entry. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the M3 Memory 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 retire_focus? +

Register the M3 Memory MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for retire_focus: 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 M3 Memory. Nothing to install.

What risk level is retire_focus? +

retire_focus 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 retire_focus? +

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

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

retire_focus is provided by the M3 Memory MCP server (skynetcmd/m3-memory). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every M3 Memory tool call.

Start from M3 Memory, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →