recover_stale_leases · Todos MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What recover_stale_leases does on Todos

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why recover_stale_leases needs a policy

This tool modifies the state of task leases by recovering expired/stale ones and reassigning them to an agent. This is a reversible write operation that changes ownership/assignment state of tasks rather than deleting data or executing code. The blast radius is medium since misuse could cause tasks to be incorrectly reassigned or duplicate work to occur.

From the tool's definition Recover expired/stale task leases and optionally reclaim work for an agent

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

recover_stale_leases Rate-limited

recover_stale_leases 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": {
    "recover_stale_leases": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "recover_stale_leases_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

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

FAQ

Questions about recover_stale_leases

What does the recover_stale_leases tool do? +

Recover expired/stale task leases and optionally reclaim work for an agent. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Todos MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on recover_stale_leases? +

Register the Todos MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for recover_stale_leases: 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.

What risk level is recover_stale_leases? +

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

Can I rate-limit recover_stale_leases? +

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

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

recover_stale_leases 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.