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Tool Misuse Prevention Pattern(TMP)
Prevents agents from being manipulated into executing malicious actions through tools
In 30 seconds
- What
- Restricts agent tool access through permission boundaries, action validation, sandboxing, audit logs, and rate limits before execution.
- When to use
- Agents control sensitive systems like databases, file systems, shell commands, or external APIs where misuse causes real damage.
- Watch out
- Overly restrictive rules block legitimate work; overly permissive ones fail to stop determined prompt injection attacks.
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Tool Misuse Prevention Pattern: Overview
Prevents agents from being manipulated into executing malicious actions through tools
- Tool permission boundaries
- Action validation before execution
- Sandbox environments for tools
- Comprehensive audit logging
- Rate limiting per tool type
- Capability-based access control
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References
The papers, specifications, and repositories this pattern is based on.
- OWASP ASI (2025)
- NIST AI 600-1
From the engineer behind this catalog
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