compile_latex
Compile a workspace .tex file into a PDF using a system LaTeX engine.
This record as markdown: /tools/cowork-os/compile-latex.md
What compile_latex does on CoWork OS
AI agents invoke compile_latex to trigger actions in CoWork OS. 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 compile_latex is rated High
This tool executes a system command (LaTeX compiler) on provided input files. While the primary intent is document compilation rather than arbitrary code execution, LaTeX engines can process complex instructions and potentially have side effects beyond simple file generation.
From the tool's definition "Compile a workspace .tex file into a PDF using a system LaTeX engine." The tool invokes a system LaTeX engine to process and compile files, which is an external operation whose effects depend on the input arguments (the .tex file content).
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs compile_latex safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and CoWork OS, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For compile_latex, this is the rule to start with:
compile_latex 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 CoWork OS, apply this rule, and every compile_latex call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about compile_latex
Compile a workspace .tex file into a PDF using a system LaTeX engine. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the CoWork OS MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the CoWork OS MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for compile_latex: 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 CoWork OS. Nothing to install.
compile_latex 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 compile_latex 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 compile_latex. 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.
compile_latex is provided by the CoWork OS MCP server (CoWork-OS/CoWork-OS). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
More on CoWork OS, and thousands of servers like it.
Across the catalogue