machines_delete
Hard-delete a machine. Cannot delete primary or machines with active tasks.
This record as markdown: /tools/todos/machines-delete.md
What machines_delete does on Todos
AI agents call machines_delete to permanently remove resources in Todos, typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.
Why machines_delete is rated Critical
This tool performs an irreversible deletion operation ('hard-delete') on machines, which constitutes permanent data/resource destruction that cannot be undone. While the tool has guards (cannot delete primary or machines with active tasks), the core action is destructive.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'machines_delete' and description states 'Hard-delete a machine' with explicit caveat that certain machines cannot be deleted, indicating irreversible removal of infrastructure or compute resources.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs machines_delete safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Todos, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For machines_delete, this is the rule to start with:
machines_delete is removed from the agent's tool list entirely, so the agent never calls it. The rest of the server keeps working.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Todos, apply this rule, and every machines_delete call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about machines_delete
Hard-delete a machine. Cannot delete primary or machines with active tasks. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Todos MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.
Register the Todos MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for machines_delete: 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 Todos. Nothing to install.
machines_delete is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the machines_delete 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 machines_delete. 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.
machines_delete is provided by the Todos MCP server (@hasna/todos). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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