freeze_excel_panes · Office MCP Server MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What freeze_excel_panes does on Office MCP Server

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why freeze_excel_panes needs a policy

Freezing panes is a reversible modification to an Excel spreadsheet's view configuration. It does not delete data, execute arbitrary code, or cause destructive changes. It falls under Write category as it modifies document state in a way that can be easily undone (by unfreezing panes). The severity is low because this is a cosmetic/usability feature with minimal impact if misapplied.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'freeze_excel_panes' and description '冻结 Excel 窗格' (freeze Excel panes in Chinese) indicate a feature that modifies Excel document formatting/view settings.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

freeze_excel_panes Rate-limited

freeze_excel_panes 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": {
    "freeze_excel_panes": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "freeze_excel_panes_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 Office MCP Server, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about freeze_excel_panes

What does the freeze_excel_panes tool do? +

冻结 Excel 窗格. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Office MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on freeze_excel_panes? +

Register the Office MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for freeze_excel_panes: 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 Office MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is freeze_excel_panes? +

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

Can I rate-limit freeze_excel_panes? +

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

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

freeze_excel_panes is provided by the Office MCP Server MCP server (walkingzzzy/office-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.