profile_apply · It2 MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What profile_apply does on It2mcp

AI agents use profile_apply to create or update resources in It2mcp — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your It2mcp environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why profile_apply needs a policy

Applying a profile modifies the session's appearance and behavior settings (colors, fonts, shell, environment variables, etc.) reversibly. It does not execute code or destroy data, but it does change the state of the session configuration. Severity is medium because a malicious profile could alter terminal behavior, though the change is typically reversible.

From the tool's definition Apply an iTerm2 profile to a session

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

profile_apply Rate-limited

profile_apply 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": {
    "profile_apply": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "profile_apply_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 It2mcp, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about profile_apply

What does the profile_apply tool do? +

Apply an iTerm2 profile to a session. It is categorised as a Write tool in the It2mcp MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on profile_apply? +

Register the It2 MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for profile_apply: 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 It2mcp. Nothing to install.

What risk level is profile_apply? +

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

Can I rate-limit profile_apply? +

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

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

profile_apply is provided by the It2 MCP server (urjitbhatia/it2mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.