Drag an element and drop it onto another element. Useful for reordering tabs, tree items, etc.
AI agents invoke vscode_drag_drop to trigger actions in VSCode Automation MCP. 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.
This tool performs UI interactions (drag and drop) within VSCode, triggering actions that depend on what elements are involved. While the primary use case is reordering (tabs, tree items), drag-and-drop in an IDE can trigger file moves, tab reorganization, or other state changes. It is an active UI manipulation operation rather than a simple read, and its effects depend on the arguments passed.
From the tool's definition Drag an element and drop it onto another element. Useful for reordering tabs, tree items, etc.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access vscode_drag_drop gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and VSCode Automation MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for vscode_drag_drop:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"vscode_drag_drop": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "vscode_drag_drop_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 10,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}vscode_drag_drop 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.
Free to start. No card required.
Drag an element and drop it onto another element. Useful for reordering tabs, tree items, etc. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the VSCode Automation MCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the VSCode Automation MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for vscode_drag_drop: 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 VSCode Automation MCP. Nothing to install.
vscode_drag_drop is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the vscode_drag_drop 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 vscode_drag_drop. 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.
vscode_drag_drop is provided by the VSCode Automation MCP server (sukarth/vscode-automation-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from VSCode Automation MCP, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
61 VSCode Automation MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.