AI agents call whoami to retrieve information from Imap without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs a simple identity query—it reads and returns account configuration information. It has no capability to modify data, execute code, trigger external operations, delete information, or commit financial transactions. The blast radius if misused is minimal; an agent learning the account email address poses no significant security risk. This is clearly a Read operation with low severity.
From the tool's definition Tool returns the configured email address for the current account. This is a query operation that retrieves account metadata without modifying, executing, or deleting anything. The description explicitly indicates retrieval ('Returns') with no side effects.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Returns the configured email address for the current account. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Imap MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Imap MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for whoami: 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 Imap. Nothing to install.
whoami 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 whoami 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 whoami. 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.
whoami is provided by the Imap MCP server (vivier/imap-mcp-server). 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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