AI agents use linear_archiveIssue to create or update resources in Linear — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Linear environment.
Archiving modifies issue state but does not permanently delete data or make the change irreversible in the typical sense — issues can be restored from archive. This qualifies as Write rather than Destructive. The severity is medium because archiving an issue could disrupt team workflows if applied incorrectly to active work items, but the effect is recoverable.
From the tool's definition The tool 'linear_archiveIssue' performs 'Archive an issue' — archiving is a state change that modifies an issue by moving it out of active view, making it functionally inactive while preserving the data (reversible via unarchive in most project management…
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access linear_archiveIssue gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Linear, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for linear_archiveIssue:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"linear_archiveIssue": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "linear_archiveissue_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}linear_archiveIssue 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.
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Archive an issue. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Linear MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Linear MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for linear_archiveIssue: 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 Linear. Nothing to install.
linear_archiveIssue is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the linear_archiveIssue 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 linear_archiveIssue. 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.
linear_archiveIssue is provided by the Linear MCP server (tacticlaunch/mcp-linear). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 182 Linear tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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182 Linear tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.