Get all annotations for a specific item or across your entire Zotero library.
AI agents call zotero_get_annotations to retrieve information from Zotero MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and queries annotation data from a Zotero library without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. It is a straightforward read operation with no side effects. The severity is low because unauthorized access to annotations poses minimal risk compared to destructive or financial operations, though it could expose sensitive research notes if misused.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'zotero_get_annotations' and description 'Get all annotations for a specific item or across your entire Zotero library' indicate retrieval of existing data with no modification or deletion capability.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Get all annotations for a specific item or across your entire Zotero library. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Zotero MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Zotero MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for zotero_get_annotations: 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 Zotero MCP Server. Nothing to install.
zotero_get_annotations is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the zotero_get_annotations 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 zotero_get_annotations. 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.
zotero_get_annotations is provided by the Zotero MCP Server MCP server (tspspi/zotero-mcp-postgres-ollama-fulltext). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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