This record as markdown: /tools/yuga-hashimoto-localant/shell-stop-process.md
What shell_stop_process does on LocalAnt
AI agents invoke shell_stop_process to trigger actions in LocalAnt. 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 shell_stop_process is rated High
Stopping a process executes a system-level action with externally visible consequences (application/service shutdown). While not destructive in the sense of permanent data loss, process termination affects system state in ways that depend on which process is targeted and can disrupt services or workflows.
From the tool's definition The tool description states it 'Stop[s] a tracked process', which terminates a running process on the system. Process termination is an external operation that triggers immediate effects on system state and cannot be easily reverted in all contexts.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs shell_stop_process safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and LocalAnt, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For shell_stop_process, this is the rule to start with:
shell_stop_process 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 LocalAnt, apply this rule, and every shell_stop_process call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about shell_stop_process
Stop a tracked process. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the LocalAnt MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the LocalAnt MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for shell_stop_process: 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 LocalAnt. Nothing to install.
shell_stop_process 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 shell_stop_process 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 shell_stop_process. 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.
shell_stop_process is provided by the LocalAnt MCP server (yuga-hashimoto/localant). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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