export_bibtex · BioCite- MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What export_bibtex does on BioCite-MCP

AI agents call export_bibtex to retrieve information from BioCite-MCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why export_bibtex needs a policy

The tool only retrieves BibTeX metadata from an external source (Europe PMC or Crossref) for a specified DOI. It does not create, modify, delete, or execute anything. Misuse potential is minimal as it only returns citation data.

From the tool's definition 'Retrieve the BibTeX citation for a given DOI' — purely a read/fetch operation with no side effects

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Questions about export_bibtex

What does the export_bibtex tool do? +

Retrieve the BibTeX citation for a given DOI. It is categorised as a Read tool in the BioCite-MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on export_bibtex? +

Register the BioCite- MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for export_bibtex: 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 BioCite-MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is export_bibtex? +

export_bibtex is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit export_bibtex? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the export_bibtex 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.

How do I block export_bibtex completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for export_bibtex. 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.

What MCP server provides export_bibtex? +

export_bibtex is provided by the BioCite- MCP server (muslus/biocite-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.