update_status · MCP Personal Assistant MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What update_status does on MCP Personal Assistant

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why update_status needs a policy

This tool modifies user status information, which is data that can be changed or reverted. It does not delete data (Destructive), execute arbitrary operations (Execute), involve financial transactions (Financial), or merely retrieve information (Read).

From the tool's definition Tool name 'update_status' and description 'Update your status information' indicate modification of existing data. The verb 'update' is characteristic of Write operations that create or modify data reversibly.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

update_status Rate-limited

update_status 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": {
    "update_status": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "update_status_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 MCP Personal Assistant, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about update_status

What does the update_status tool do? +

Update your status information. It is categorised as a Write tool in the MCP Personal Assistant MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on update_status? +

Register the MCP Personal Assistant MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for update_status: 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 MCP Personal Assistant. Nothing to install.

What risk level is update_status? +

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

Can I rate-limit update_status? +

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

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

update_status is provided by the MCP Personal Assistant MCP server (swapnilsurdi/mcp-pa). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.