AI agents invoke run_tcl to trigger actions in Vivado. 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.
Tcl execution in Vivado is a powerful mechanism that can trigger design transformations, modify project state, and execute external operations. While not inherently destructive (those would be specific Tcl commands like 'delete_files'), the tool itself executes arbitrary code with side effects that depend on user input. This matches the Execute category.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'run_tcl' on a Xilinx Vivado EDA server with empty description. Vivado uses Tcl as its scripting language for executing arbitrary commands on FPGA design flows, including synthesis, place & route, and bitstream generation.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access run_tcl gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Vivado, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for run_tcl:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"run_tcl": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "run_tcl_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 10,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}run_tcl 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.
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run_tcl. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Vivado MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Vivado MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for run_tcl: 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 Vivado. Nothing to install.
run_tcl 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 run_tcl 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 run_tcl. 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.
run_tcl is provided by the Vivado MCP server (mapleleavessssssss-wq/vivado-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Vivado, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
27 Vivado tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.