AI agents call get-unread-count to retrieve information from Apple Mail without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves metadata about emails (unread count) without modifying, deleting, or executing any actions. It has no side effects and poses minimal risk even if invoked repeatedly or with unexpected arguments, making it a Read classification with low severity.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get-unread-count' indicates a query operation that retrieves a count of unread messages. The server description confirms it 'allow[s] AI assistants to read, send, search, and manage emails', with 'read' being the primary capability for this tool.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get-unread-count gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Apple Mail, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get-unread-count:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get-unread-count": {}
}
}get-unread-count is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
Free to start. No card required.
get-unread-count. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Apple Mail MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Apple Mail MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for 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 Apple Mail. Nothing to install.
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 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 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.
get-unread-count is provided by the Apple Mail MCP server (sweetrb/apple-mail-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 40 Apple Mail tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
40 Apple Mail tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.