ha_area_lights_on · Hass MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What ha_area_lights_on does on Hass

AI agents invoke ha_area_lights_on to trigger actions in Hass. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why ha_area_lights_on needs a policy

This tool triggers an external operation in Home Assistant — activating physical lights in a specified area. It causes real-world side effects (lights turn on) and interacts with hardware via the REST API. While reversible (lights can be turned off), it is an action/command execution rather than a simple data write. Misuse could affect multiple lights across an area simultaneously, hence medium severity.

From the tool's definition Turn on all lights in an area (by area_id)

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

ha_area_lights_on Rate-limited

ha_area_lights_on stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "ha_area_lights_on": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "ha_area_lights_on_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Hass, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about ha_area_lights_on

What does the ha_area_lights_on tool do? +

Turn on all lights in an area (by area_id). It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Hass MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on ha_area_lights_on? +

Register the Hass MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for ha_area_lights_on: 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 Hass. Nothing to install.

What risk level is ha_area_lights_on? +

ha_area_lights_on is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit ha_area_lights_on? +

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

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

ha_area_lights_on is provided by the Hass MCP server (thewhykiki/hass-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.