Get the count of unread emails in specified folders.
AI agents call imap_get_unread_count to retrieve information from Email MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool only queries and retrieves information (unread email count) from folders. It performs no write, delete, or execute operations. The query is read-only with no side effects, making it a Read category tool. Severity is low because exposure of this capability poses minimal risk—an attacker could only learn aggregate counts of unread emails, not access email content, modify emails, or take destructive actions.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'imap_get_unread_count' and description 'Get the count of unread emails in specified folders' indicates retrieval of metadata about emails without modifying or deleting any data.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Get the count of unread emails in specified folders. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Email MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Email MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for imap_get_unread_count: 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 Email MCP Server. Nothing to install.
imap_get_unread_count is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the imap_get_unread_count 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 imap_get_unread_count. 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.
imap_get_unread_count is provided by the Email MCP Server MCP server (sventern/mcp_email). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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