disable_macos_launch_agents
Unload and move matching user LaunchAgent plists into ~/Library/LaunchAgents.disabled-by-cowork.
This record as markdown: /tools/cowork-os/disable-macos-launch-agents.md
What disable_macos_launch_agents does on CoWork OS
AI agents call disable_macos_launch_agents to permanently remove resources in CoWork OS, typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.
Why disable_macos_launch_agents is rated Critical
Disabling macOS LaunchAgents stops background services and moves their plist files, which is a system-level destructive action. While the files are moved rather than deleted (preserving some recoverability), the act of unloading and relocating system service definitions can break dependent workflows, daemons, or user-level services in ways that are difficult to fully reverse.
From the tool's definition 'Unload and move matching user LaunchAgent plists' — this unloads running launch agents and relocates their configuration files, disabling persistent background services in a way that may not be easily reversible without knowing which agents were affected.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs disable_macos_launch_agents 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 disable_macos_launch_agents, this is the rule to start with:
disable_macos_launch_agents is removed from the agent's tool list entirely, so the agent never calls it. The rest of the server keeps working.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect CoWork OS, apply this rule, and every disable_macos_launch_agents call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about disable_macos_launch_agents
Unload and move matching user LaunchAgent plists into ~/Library/LaunchAgents.disabled-by-cowork. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the CoWork OS MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.
Register the CoWork OS MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for disable_macos_launch_agents: 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.
disable_macos_launch_agents is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the disable_macos_launch_agents 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 disable_macos_launch_agents. 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.
disable_macos_launch_agents 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.
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