karea_answer_question · Karea MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What karea_answer_question does on Karea

AI agents use karea_answer_question to create or update resources in Karea — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Karea environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why karea_answer_question needs a policy

The tool creates or modifies data (adding an answer to an existing question) without permanently destroying information or executing arbitrary code. This fits the Write category. Severity is medium because answering questions in a task management system could potentially record incorrect information, but the impact is limited to a single question record and is reversible through editing or deletion.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Answer an open question', which modifies the state of a question resource by adding an answer to it. This is a reversible data modification operation.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

karea_answer_question Rate-limited

karea_answer_question 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "karea_answer_question": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "karea_answer_question_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

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

FAQ

Questions about karea_answer_question

What does the karea_answer_question tool do? +

Answer an open question. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Karea MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on karea_answer_question? +

Register the Karea MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for karea_answer_question: 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 Karea. Nothing to install.

What risk level is karea_answer_question? +

karea_answer_question is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit karea_answer_question? +

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

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

karea_answer_question is provided by the Karea MCP server (starecz/karea-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.