Download PDF for a paper from BASE. Args: paper_id: BASE paper identifier. save_path: Directory to save the PDF (default: './downloads'). Returns: str: Path to downloaded PDF.
AI agents call download_base to retrieve information from Paper Search MCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs a query-and-retrieve operation against an academic paper repository. While it writes a file to the local filesystem, the primary action is reading/downloading public academic content. There is no modification of data, no destructive operation, no code execution (beyond standard HTTP download), and no financial transaction.
From the tool's definition Tool 'download_base' retrieves and downloads a PDF file from the BASE academic database. The operation is read-only; it fetches an existing paper without modifying, deleting, or executing code.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access download_base gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Paper Search MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for download_base:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"download_base": {}
}
}download_base is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Download PDF for a paper from BASE. Args: paper_id: BASE paper identifier. save_path: Directory to save the PDF (default: './downloads'). Returns: str: Path to downloaded PDF. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Paper Search MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Paper Search MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for download_base: 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 Paper Search MCP. Nothing to install.
download_base is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the download_base 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 download_base. 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.
download_base is provided by the Paper Search MCP server (openags/paper-search-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 63 Paper Search MCP tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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63 Paper Search MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.