Search the vault by note content, filename/path, or both using a literal string or regex pattern.
AI agents call search_notes to retrieve information from Obsidian Knowledge Management MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
search_notes performs a query operation that retrieves and filters existing markdown files from an Obsidian vault without creating, modifying, or deleting any data. While it operates on potentially sensitive personal knowledge management data, the lack of side effects and inability to alter state makes it a Read category tool with low risk if misused by an AI agent—worst case, unauthorized information discovery is…
From the tool's definition Tool is described as 'Search the vault by note content, filename/path, or both using a literal string or regex pattern.' The verb 'search' combined with retrieval of existing vault data with no modification capability indicates a read-only operation.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Search the vault by note content, filename/path, or both using a literal string or regex pattern. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Obsidian Knowledge Management MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Obsidian Knowledge Management MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_notes: 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 Obsidian Knowledge Management MCP Server. Nothing to install.
search_notes 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 search_notes 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 search_notes. 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.
search_notes is provided by the Obsidian Knowledge Management MCP Server MCP server (theoutcastvirus/obsidian-knowledge-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
Teams ship this data inside their own products. See what a licence covers →