lock_acquire · Lockstep MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What lock_acquire does on Lockstep

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why lock_acquire needs a policy

Acquiring a lock creates a coordination artifact (a lock record) in the shared state, which is a reversible write operation. It does not execute code or destroy data, but it can block other agents from accessing resources, giving it medium severity if misused to cause deadlocks or starvation.

From the tool's definition Acquire a named lock

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

lock_acquire Rate-limited

lock_acquire 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": {
    "lock_acquire": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "lock_acquire_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

FAQ

Questions about lock_acquire

What does the lock_acquire tool do? +

Acquire a named lock. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Lockstep MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on lock_acquire? +

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

What risk level is lock_acquire? +

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

Can I rate-limit lock_acquire? +

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

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

lock_acquire is provided by the Lockstep MCP server (tmmoore286/lockstep-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.