AI agents call select_spread to retrieve information from InDesign MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Selecting a spread is a navigation/focus action that identifies which spread is active for subsequent operations. It does not modify, delete, or create data, making it a Read-category action. Severity is low as misuse would at most target an unintended spread. Confidence is moderate because the description is minimal and 'select' could theoretically trigger side effects in some implementations.
From the tool's definition 'Select a spread' — selecting/targeting a spread in the document layout
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access select_spread gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and InDesign MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for select_spread:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"select_spread": {}
}
}select_spread is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Select a spread. It is categorised as a Read tool in the InDesign MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the InDesign MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for select_spread: 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 InDesign MCP Server. Nothing to install.
select_spread 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 select_spread 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 select_spread. 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.
select_spread is provided by the InDesign MCP Server MCP server (zachshallbetter/indesign-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from InDesign MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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135 InDesign MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.