obsidian_recent_changes

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why obsidian_recent_changes needs a policy

This tool retrieves information about file modification history, which is a read-only query operation with no side effects. It does not create, modify, delete, or execute anything—it simply queries the vault's file metadata. The low severity reflects minimal blast radius if misused; an AI agent could at worst learn about recent vault activity but cannot modify data or trigger external operations.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'obsidian_recent_changes' and description 'Get recently modified files in the vault' indicate a query/retrieval operation that returns metadata about recently modified files without modifying or executing any operations.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access obsidian_recent_changes gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control obsidian_recent_changes

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Advanced Obsidian MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for obsidian_recent_changes:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "obsidian_recent_changes": {}
  }
}

obsidian_recent_changes is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register Advanced Obsidian MCP Server — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Advanced Obsidian MCP Server tools

Destructive obsidian_delete_file Delete a file or directory from your vault Execute obsidian_execute_commands Execute one or more commands in obsidian interface Execute obsidian_open_files Open one or more files in the vault in a new leaf Write obsidian_append_to_file Append content to a new or existing file in the vault Write obsidian_patch_file Insert content into an existing note relative to a heading, block reference, or frontmatte Write obsidian_put_file Create a new file in your vault or update the content of an existing one Read obsidian_batch_get_files Return the contents and metadata of one or more notes (.md files) in your vault Read obsidian_complex_search Complex search for documents using a JsonLogic query with support for 'glob' and 'regexp'

All 16 Advanced Obsidian MCP Server tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about obsidian_recent_changes

What does the obsidian_recent_changes tool do? +

Get recently modified files in the vault. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Advanced Obsidian MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on obsidian_recent_changes? +

Register the Advanced Obsidian MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for obsidian_recent_changes: 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 Advanced Obsidian MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is obsidian_recent_changes? +

obsidian_recent_changes is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit obsidian_recent_changes? +

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

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

obsidian_recent_changes is provided by the Advanced Obsidian MCP Server MCP server (tokidoo/mcp-obsidian-advanced). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Advanced Obsidian MCP Server tool call.

Start from Advanced Obsidian MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →