telescope_custom_action · Ascom MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What telescope_custom_action does on Ascom

AI agents invoke telescope_custom_action to trigger actions in Ascom. 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 telescope_custom_action needs a policy

The name suggests executing a custom operation on physical telescope hardware. 'Custom action' implies arbitrary execution of commands against an ASCOM Alpaca device, which could cause physical movement or misconfiguration of equipment. Empty description lowers confidence, but the 'Execute' category is most appropriate given the naming pattern.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'telescope_custom_action' implies execution of a custom/arbitrary action on a telescope device; description is empty and uninformative.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

telescope_custom_action Rate-limited

telescope_custom_action 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": {
    "telescope_custom_action": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "telescope_custom_action_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 Ascom, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about telescope_custom_action

What does the telescope_custom_action tool do? +

telescope_custom_action. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Ascom MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on telescope_custom_action? +

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

What risk level is telescope_custom_action? +

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

Can I rate-limit telescope_custom_action? +

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

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

telescope_custom_action is provided by the Ascom MCP server (stellarpunk/mcp-server-ascom). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.