bazel_ios_open_simulator
Open Simulator.app and optionally bring a specific device to the foreground.
This record as markdown: /tools/xcodebazelmcp-xcodebazelmcp/bazel-ios-open-simulator.md
What bazel_ios_open_simulator does on XcodeBazelMCP
AI agents invoke bazel_ios_open_simulator to trigger actions in XcodeBazelMCP. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Why bazel_ios_open_simulator is rated High
This tool launches an external application (Simulator.app) and triggers a UI foreground action. It executes an external operation rather than just reading data or writing/modifying persistent data. The blast radius is low since it only opens a simulator UI with no destructive or financial impact.
From the tool's definition Open Simulator.app and optionally bring a specific device to the foreground
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs bazel_ios_open_simulator safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and XcodeBazelMCP, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For bazel_ios_open_simulator, this is the rule to start with:
bazel_ios_open_simulator stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect XcodeBazelMCP, apply this rule, and every bazel_ios_open_simulator call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about bazel_ios_open_simulator
Open Simulator.app and optionally bring a specific device to the foreground. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the XcodeBazelMCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the XcodeBazel MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for bazel_ios_open_simulator: 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 XcodeBazelMCP. Nothing to install.
bazel_ios_open_simulator is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the bazel_ios_open_simulator 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 bazel_ios_open_simulator. 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.
bazel_ios_open_simulator is provided by the XcodeBazel MCP server (xcodebazelmcp/xcodebazelmcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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