fix(#2009): load-failed capability gates fail open with a loud warning

Previously a capability that failed to LOAD (e.g. incompatible engines.gsd) but
declared a gate-kind loop hook caused the loop resolver to inject a BLOCKING
synthetic gate (blocking:true, onError:halt) at every declared point, halting
every ship:pre / verify:post project-wide over an unrelated load error, with no
remediation surfaced.

Per maintainer decision (#2009) it now fails OPEN: no gate is injected (the loop
proceeds; --active-cap correctly reports the failed cap inactive) and a loud
warning is emitted — to stderr (the channel host workflows/agents actually see)
and in the envelope 'warnings' array — naming the load reason and the exact
'gsd capability remove <id>' remediation. The loader still records blockedGates;
only the consequence changes from block to warn.

Security (review): capId and reason originate from a third-party manifest /
directory name. capId is validated against the canonical kebab-case id shape
before it is placed in the runnable remediation command (withheld otherwise);
reason is stripped of control chars and backticks. This closes an argument/
prompt-injection vector in the surfaced message.

Docs updated to the fail-open-warning posture (ARCHITECTURE, INVENTORY,
CONFIGURATION, README, capability-overlay-model). Also removes a dead 'before'
import surfaced by lint in the issue-2045 test.
This commit is contained in:
Tom Boucher
2026-07-07 19:38:01 -04:00
parent c82355972d
commit 46f8d3814c
8 changed files with 123 additions and 53 deletions

View File

@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ Node.js CLI utility (`gsd-tools.cjs`) with domain modules split across `gsd-core
| `profile-pipeline.cjs` | User behavioral profiling data pipeline, session file scanning |
| `profile-output.cjs` | Profile rendering, USER-PROFILE.md and dev-preferences.md generation |
| `loop-host-contract.cjs` | Generated Loop Host Contract — 12 loop points, per-step agent roles, and core artifacts; emitted by `scripts/gen-loop-host-contract.cjs` from workflow markers (ADR-894 §3); consumed by `gen-capability-registry.cjs` |
| `capability-loader.cjs` | Runtime registry overlay loader (ADR-1244 D2) — `loadRegistry({ includeInstalled })` composes the frozen first-party registry with a validated installed overlay of third-party capability manifests read from global `$GSD_HOME/.gsd/capabilities/` and project `<projectRoot>/.gsd/capabilities/`; first-party always wins; load-time `engines.gsd` re-gate skips incompatible overlays with a warning; gate-kind hooks on skipped capabilities fail CLOSED |
| `capability-loader.cjs` | Runtime registry overlay loader (ADR-1244 D2) — `loadRegistry({ includeInstalled })` composes the frozen first-party registry with a validated installed overlay of third-party capability manifests read from global `$GSD_HOME/.gsd/capabilities/` and project `<projectRoot>/.gsd/capabilities/`; first-party always wins; load-time `engines.gsd` re-gate skips incompatible overlays with a warning; gate-kind hooks on skipped capabilities fail OPEN — no gate is injected; a loud warning (stderr + envelope `warnings`) names the load failure and the `gsd capability remove <id>` remediation (#2009) |
| `capability-registry.cjs` | Generated central Capability Registry — role-partitioned index of all co-located capability declarations; emitted by `scripts/gen-capability-registry.cjs` (ADR-894 §5) |
| `loop-resolver.cjs` | Loop Extension Point resolver — ADR-857 phase 3c registry-consuming query; consumes resolved Capability State, filters `byLoopPoint` by capability enablement plus config activation, renders active hooks as markdown, emits `{ point, activeHooks, rendered }` envelope; `gsd-tools loop render-hooks <point> [--config-dir <path>]` |
| `capability-state.cjs` | Unified capability-state resolver — ADR-857 phase 4b/6; composes install profile, runtime surface, and config activation into one per-capability view consumed by workflow hook rendering; pure `resolveCapabilityState`, reusable `resolveCapabilityRuntimeState`, I/O `cmdCapabilityState`, and convenience predicate `isCapabilityActive(capId, cwd)`; `gsd-tools capability state [--config-dir <path>]` emits `{ runtimeConfigDir, capabilities[] }` where each entry carries `enabled` (installed && surfaced) and `active` (enabled && configActivation via the capability's `activationKey`; absent key → active===enabled) |

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@@ -769,9 +769,9 @@ Installed overlay capabilities are merged via the same `buildRegistry` pipeline
Each overlay manifest may declare an `engines.gsd` semver range. At load time GSD evaluates this range against the running GSD version. An overlay that does not satisfy the range is **skipped with a warning** — it is never loaded and never crashes the loop. Manifests without an `engines.gsd` field are accepted unconditionally.
### Gate-kind fail-closed policy
### Gate-kind fail-open policy (#2009)
If a skipped overlay capability declared a `gate`-kind loop hook, the loop resolver **injects a blocking gate** at that hook point (fail CLOSED). Skipped capabilities whose hooks are `step` or `contribution` kind skip open — the loop proceeds without them.
If a skipped or load-failed overlay capability (for example, one whose `engines.gsd` range is incompatible) declared a `gate`-kind loop hook, the loop resolver does **not** inject a gate at that hook point (fail OPEN): the loop proceeds. Instead it emits a loud warning — to stderr and in the `loop render-hooks` envelope's `warnings` array — naming the load-failure reason and the exact remediation, `gsd capability remove <id>`, so the operator is loudly told how to clear it. Skipped capabilities whose hooks are `step` or `contribution` kind skip open too, as before — the loop proceeds without them.
### Overlay config federation

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@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ Full listing: `gsd-core/bin/lib/*.cjs`.
| `capability-lock.cjs` | Shared cross-process lock primitive (#1459 finding 4) — the SINGLE hardened lockfile protocol used by BOTH capability-lifecycle (`.gsd/capabilities/.lock`) and capability-consent (`.consent.lock`); exports `acquireLock(lockPath, opts?)`/`releaseLock(handle)` with pid + process-start-time liveness identity, a hard deadman, and token+inode owner-safe release — NEVER stale-steals a verified-live same-host holder, reclaims only a provably-dead/unverifiable holder, never deadlocks; `opts.maxAttempts`/`opts.waitForFresh` let the consent store serialize genuinely-contended writers; `_setLockProbes`/`_resetLockProbes` are test seams |
| `capability-ledger.cjs` | Per-runtime install ledger (ADR-1244 D4) — atomic read/write of `.gsd-capabilities.json` recording `{ id, version, source, integrity, files[], sharedEdits[] }` per installed capability; exports `readLedger`/`writeLedger`/`recordInstall`/`removeEntry`/`reconcile` (orphan detection)/`readSmallRegularFile` (utf8) + `readSmallRegularFileBuffer` (raw bytes, the byte-exact consent-hash reader, #1459 finding 1); atomic commit point and reconciliation basis for Phase-4 upgrade/remove |
| `capability-lifecycle.cjs` | Capability lifecycle orchestration (ADR-1244 Phase 4, D5+D6) — composes the source resolver + ledger + trust gate into `installCapability`/`upgradeCapability`/`removeCapability`/`reconcileCapabilities`; ledger write is the commit point; upgrade is atomic stage-then-swap (old set aside, new swapped in, ledger committed, backup dropped) with deterministic crash recovery (`reconcileCapabilities` rolls forward/back to a fully-old-or-fully-new state); remove surgically strips only marker-stamped (`_gsdCapability`) shared-config entries, preserving user hand-edits; never executes capability code |
| `capability-loader.cjs` | Runtime Capability Registry overlay (ADR-1244 D2) — `loadRegistry({ includeInstalled })` composes the frozen first-party registry with a validated installed overlay read from `$GSD_HOME/.gsd/capabilities/<id>/` (global) and `<projectRoot>/.gsd/capabilities/<id>/` (project); first-party-wins on id/skill/agent/config collisions, reserved-namespace rejection, load-time `engines.gsd` re-gate (skip-with-warning), and gate-kind fail-closed via `_overlay.blockedGates`; composes through the canonical `buildRegistry` so derived views never drift |
| `capability-loader.cjs` | Runtime Capability Registry overlay (ADR-1244 D2) — `loadRegistry({ includeInstalled })` composes the frozen first-party registry with a validated installed overlay read from `$GSD_HOME/.gsd/capabilities/<id>/` (global) and `<projectRoot>/.gsd/capabilities/<id>/` (project); first-party-wins on id/skill/agent/config collisions, reserved-namespace rejection, load-time `engines.gsd` re-gate (skip-with-warning), and gate-kind fail-open via `_overlay.blockedGates` — a loud warning (stderr + envelope `warnings`) naming the load failure and `gsd capability remove <id>` remediation; no gate injected (#2009); composes through the canonical `buildRegistry` so derived views never drift |
| `capability-registry.cjs` | Generated central Capability Registry — role-partitioned index of all co-located capability declarations (`capabilities/<id>/capability.json`); emitted by `scripts/gen-capability-registry.cjs --write` (ADR-894 §5) |
| `capability-source.cjs` | Capability source resolver (ADR-1244 D3) — `resolveCapabilitySource(spec, opts)` fetches and stages a capability from local path, git (https/ssh/git transports only), npm pack (no lifecycle scripts), tarball (sha512 integrity verify before extraction), or registry (stub); tar-slip/symlink rejection; atomic staging to `$GSD_HOME/.gsd/capabilities/<id>/`; no capability code executes during install |
| `capability-state.cjs` | Unified capability-state resolver (ADR-857 phase 4b/6) — composes install profile, runtime surface, and config activation into one per-capability view consumed by workflow hook rendering; exports pure `resolveCapabilityState`, reusable `resolveCapabilityRuntimeState`, and I/O handler `cmdCapabilityState`; command surface: `gsd-tools capability state [--config-dir <path>]` emitting `{ runtimeConfigDir, capabilities[] }` |

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@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ Language versions: [English](README.md) · [Português (pt-BR)](pt-BR/README.md)
- [Multi-agent orchestration](explanation/multi-agent-orchestration.md) — how subagents are spawned, scoped, and coordinated
- [Security model](explanation/security-model.md) — trust boundaries, permissions, and safe automation
- [The capability trust model](explanation/capability-trust-model.md) — why third-party capabilities are gated by consent + integrity + reversibility, not a sandbox
- [How overlay capabilities compose](explanation/capability-overlay-model.md) — why first-party always wins and how the loader resolves precedence, conflicts, and fail-closed gates
- [How overlay capabilities compose](explanation/capability-overlay-model.md) — why first-party always wins and how the loader resolves precedence, conflicts, and fail-open load-failure warnings
- [Architecture](ARCHITECTURE.md) — system architecture, agent model, and data flow
- [Discuss modes](workflow-discuss-mode.md) — assumptions mode vs interview mode for `/gsd-discuss-phase`
- [Context monitoring](context-monitor.md) — context window monitoring hook architecture

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@@ -181,9 +181,10 @@ candidate is processed. A single broken overlay cannot poison the rest of the se
---
## The one place where skipping is dangerous: gates
## The one place where a skip must be loud: gates
Skipping a broken overlay is the safe default for most surfaces — but not for *gates*.
Skipping a broken overlay is the safe default for every surface — including gates, though
gates get special treatment.
A capability's loop hooks come in three kinds:
@@ -195,21 +196,28 @@ For steps and contributions, skipping a capability means the loop simply proceed
**without** that addition. That is *fail-open*, and it is correct: the loop is missing an
optional step, not doing something unsafe.
A gate is the opposite. The whole purpose of a gate is to *stop* the loop when a
condition is not met — a deploy gate, a house-style verification gate, a safety check. If
GSD skipped a broken gate-declaring capability and proceeded, it would behave exactly as
if the gate had *passed* — silently waving through the very thing the gate existed to
block. That is a fail-open on a security-relevant control, and it is unacceptable.
A gate looks different at first glance. The whole purpose of a gate is to *stop* the loop
when a condition is not met — a deploy gate, a house-style verification gate, a safety
check. Silently skipping a broken gate-declaring capability and proceeding as if the gate
had *passed* would wave through the very thing the gate existed to block, with no signal
to the operator at all.
So composition treats gates asymmetrically from steps and contributions. When a
capability that declares a gate is skipped, GSD records its gate points in
`_overlay.incompatibleGateCapIds` and `_overlay.blockedGates`, and the loop resolver
**injects a synthetic blocking gate** at each of those extension points. The loop
**fails closed**: rather than proceed as if the gate passed, it halts with a message
naming the skipped capability and why its gate could not be evaluated.
So, per the maintainer decision on [#2009](https://github.com/open-gsd/gsd-core/issues/2009),
composition treats gates like steps and contributions for control flow — the loop always
proceeds — but never silently. When a capability that declares a gate is skipped, GSD
records its gate points in `_overlay.incompatibleGateCapIds` and `_overlay.blockedGates`,
and the loop resolver **injects no gate** at each of those extension points. The loop
**fails open**, but loudly: it emits a warning through two channels — stderr (the channel
host workflows/agents see when they run `gsd_run loop render-hooks <point>`) and the
`loop render-hooks` JSON envelope's top-level `warnings` array. The warning names the
skipped capability, why it could not be loaded (for example, an incompatible
`engines.gsd` range), and the exact remediation — `gsd capability remove <id>` — so the
operator sees the missing control on every pass through the loop until they act on it,
instead of the loop halting project-wide over a single incompatible overlay.
The discriminator is therefore *not* "is this overlay broken?" but "what does failing
to load it mean?" — and for a gate, failing to load it means you must not proceed.
to load it mean?" — and for a gate, failing to load it means the operator must be told,
unmistakably, until they resolve it.
---
@@ -230,10 +238,12 @@ details make this safe rather than merely convenient:
behind a path that a runtime dispatcher might `require()` a command module from.
- Every dropped overlay's **gates are recorded as blocked** — using the same extraction
as the per-candidate path — so a gate-declaring overlay that vanishes in the fallback
still **fails closed**, never open.
still **surfaces a loud warning** (stderr + envelope `warnings`) at its gate points
rather than vanishing silently (#2009).
The principle is the same at every layer: when GSD cannot compose an overlay, it removes
the overlay's *additions* but never weakens a *control*.
the overlay's *additions* but never silences a *control* — a missing gate always
surfaces, even though, per #2009, it no longer blocks the loop.
---
@@ -262,16 +272,20 @@ The overlay model rests on a few rules applied consistently:
- **First-party always wins** every collision — id, skill/agent stem, config key,
command family, reserved prefix. An overlay can only add, never override.
- A bad overlay is **skipped, not crashed** — the loop always gets a usable registry.
- Skipping **fails open** for steps and contributions (a missing optional addition) but
**fails closed** for gates (a missing control must block, not pass).
- Skipping **fails open** for steps and contributions (a missing optional addition) and,
per [#2009](https://github.com/open-gsd/gsd-core/issues/2009), **fails open** for gates
too (a missing control, no gate injected) — but loudly, via a warning (stderr + the
envelope's `warnings` array) that names the load failure and its
`gsd capability remove <id>` remediation.
- A whole-set compose failure **falls back to first-party**, clearing command roots and
still blocking dropped gates.
still surfacing dropped gates as loud warnings.
- One canonical builder materialises both first-party and overlay views, so an accepted
overlay has true parity with a shipped capability.
Every one of these choices answers the same question — *what does it mean if this
composition step fails?* — and resolves it in favour of first-party authority and a
fail-closed security posture.
composition step fails?* — and resolves it in favour of first-party authority and,
per #2009, a loud fail-open posture: never silent, never a project-wide halt over a
single incompatible overlay.
---

View File

@@ -17,10 +17,12 @@
* `gsd-core-` / `anthropic-` id prefix) is rejected.
* - Load-time re-gate (default-resilient): an overlay that fails validation or
* whose `engines.gsd` does not satisfy the running GSD version is SKIPPED
* with a warning — it never crashes the loop. EXCEPTION (per-hook-kind
* policy): a skipped capability that declares a `gate` is recorded in
* `_overlay.incompatibleGateCapIds` so the loop resolver can fail CLOSED for
* that gate rather than silently proceeding as if it had passed.
* with a warning — it never crashes the loop. A skipped capability that
* declares a `gate` is additionally recorded in
* `_overlay.incompatibleGateCapIds` / `_overlay.blockedGates` so the loop
* resolver can surface a loud fail-OPEN advisory for that gate (#2009): the
* un-evaluable gate is skipped (not enforced) with a remediation message,
* rather than silently vanishing.
*
* The merged registry is materialized by the canonical `buildRegistry`
* (re-exported from the generator, which ships) over a cap-map reconstructed
@@ -845,12 +847,12 @@ export function loadRegistry(options: LoadRegistryOptions = {}): Registry {
// to load. Clear the map (the first-party base never lists overlay commandRoots — first-party
// command modules ship in bin/lib/, not via _overlay.commandRoots).
meta.commandRoots = {};
// #1461 OVL-2 fail-CLOSED on compose failure (HIGH): the fallback DROPS every accepted overlay,
// so any accepted overlay that DECLARED a gate would have its gate silently vanish → a blocking
// gate FAILS OPEN, violating ADR-1244 (a skipped capability declaring a gate must FAIL CLOSED).
// #1461 OVL-2 (HIGH): on compose failure the fallback DROPS every accepted overlay, so any
// accepted overlay that DECLARED a gate would have its gate silently vanish with no trace.
// Record each dropped gate-declaring overlay's gate as blocked using the SAME extraction the
// per-candidate `skip()` closure uses (gatePointsOf), so loop-resolver injects the synthetic
// blocking gate at each declared point exactly as it would for a per-candidate skip.
// per-candidate `skip()` closure uses (gatePointsOf), so loop-resolver surfaces the loud
// fail-OPEN advisory (#2009) at each declared point exactly as it would for a per-candidate
// skip — the gate does not silently disappear.
for (const cap of overlayCaps) {
const gatePoints = gatePointsOf(cap);
if (gatePoints.length === 0) continue;

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@@ -454,6 +454,27 @@ function renderLoopHooks(resolved: ResolveLoopHooksResult): string {
* Missing <capId> value → coreError + non-zero exit.
* Unknown/inactive capId → `false` (not an error).
*/
// #2009: a capability id surfaced inside the runnable `gsd capability remove <id>`
// remediation must match the canonical kebab-case id shape (identical to
// capability-consent.cts / capability-ledger.cts) before it is embedded — a raw
// overlay directory name is attacker-controlled and can carry shell/markdown
// metacharacters (backticks, ';', '|', '$()'). An id that fails this check is
// withheld and no runnable command is rendered for it.
const LOAD_FAIL_CAP_ID_RE = /^[a-z][a-z0-9-]*$/;
// #2009: neutralize control chars, newlines, and backticks from a third-party
// load-failure reason so a malicious manifest cannot break out of the warning
// line or inject markdown / prompt content into the surfaced message.
function sanitizeLoadFailReason(reason: unknown): string {
const cleaned = String(reason)
// Strip C0 control chars, DEL, and backticks; collapse remaining whitespace.
.replace(/[\x00-\x1F\x7F`]/g, ' ')
.replace(/\s+/g, " ")
.trim()
.slice(0, 300);
return cleaned || '(no reason given)';
}
function cmdLoopRenderHooks(
cwd: string,
point: string,
@@ -519,26 +540,55 @@ function cmdLoopRenderHooks(
return;
}
// ── ADR-1244 D2 fail-closed gate injection ────────────────────────────────────
// For every skipped overlay capability that declared a gate at this point,
// inject a synthetic BLOCKING gate into the resolved output so the loop HALTS
// rather than silently proceeding as if the gate had passed. step/contribution
// overlays that were skipped are left open (skip-open is correct for them).
// ── ADR-1244 D2: load-failed capability gates FAIL OPEN with a loud warning ────
// Decision (#2009): a capability that failed to LOAD must not block the loop.
// The prior behavior injected a BLOCKING synthetic gate (blocking:true,
// onError:'halt') at every point where the skipped cap declared a gate, so a
// single incompatible capability halted every ship:pre / verify:post
// project-wide for a load error unrelated to what the gate checked — with no
// remediation surfaced. We now fail OPEN: no gate is injected (the loop proceeds
// and `--active-cap <failed-cap>` correctly reports it inactive), and a loud
// warning is emitted instead — to STDERR (which the operator, or the agent
// running the command, actually sees regardless of how the host workflow
// consumes stdout) AND in the envelope's `warnings` channel for structured
// consumers. The warning names the load reason and the exact
// `gsd capability remove <id>` remediation so the operator can clear the broken
// capability. blockedGates is still recorded by the loader; only the consequence
// changes from block to warn. step/contribution overlays were already skip-open.
//
// The gate injection was dropped rather than made non-blocking because no host
// workflow generically surfaces an arbitrary gate's message at ship:pre /
// verify:post (consumers dispatch on specific capIds / ref.skills), and the
// generic gate consumers expect an object-shaped `check`, not a prose string —
// so an injected advisory gate would be silently dropped or mis-dispatched. A
// stderr warning is the channel that is actually surfaced. (See #2009 review.)
const overlayMeta = (registry as { _overlay?: { blockedGates?: Array<{ point: string; capId: string; reason: string }> } })['_overlay'];
const loadFailWarnings: string[] = [];
if (overlayMeta && Array.isArray(overlayMeta.blockedGates)) {
for (const blocked of overlayMeta.blockedGates) {
if (blocked.point === point) {
const syntheticGate: ActiveHook = {
capId: blocked.capId,
kind: 'gate',
blocking: true,
onError: 'halt',
check: `capability "${blocked.capId}" was skipped at load (${blocked.reason}); its gate at ${point} cannot be evaluated — failing closed`,
};
resolved.activeHooks.push(syntheticGate);
}
if (blocked.point !== point) continue;
// Security (#2009 review): capId/reason come from a third-party manifest or
// directory name. Validate capId before embedding it in the runnable
// remediation command; withhold it (no runnable command) if it is not a
// canonical id. Strip control chars/backticks from reason.
const idValid = LOAD_FAIL_CAP_ID_RE.test(String(blocked.capId));
const capLabel = idValid
? `"${blocked.capId}"`
: 'with an invalid id (withheld) under .gsd/capabilities/';
const remediation = idValid
? `Run \`gsd capability remove ${blocked.capId}\` to remove it, or fix the load error.`
: 'Remove the offending capability directory under .gsd/capabilities/, or fix the load error.';
loadFailWarnings.push(
`capability ${capLabel} failed to load (${sanitizeLoadFailReason(blocked.reason)}); ` +
`its gate at ${point} is SKIPPED and NOT enforced (failing open). ${remediation}`,
);
}
}
// Emit loudly to stderr in EVERY output mode (including --active-cap), so a
// skipped gate is never silently invisible to the operator/agent.
for (const w of loadFailWarnings) {
process.stderr.write(`gsd: warning — ${w}\n`);
}
// --active-cap mode: print exactly 'true' or 'false' with no envelope
if (activeCapId !== undefined) {
@@ -558,8 +608,12 @@ function cmdLoopRenderHooks(
activeHooks: resolved.activeHooks,
rendered,
};
if (state.warnings && state.warnings.length > 0) {
envelope.warnings = state.warnings;
// Surface capability-state warnings and the #2009 load-failure fail-open
// warnings together in the structured `warnings` channel (in addition to the
// stderr emission above, which is the channel host workflows actually see).
const combinedWarnings = [...(state.warnings || []), ...loadFailWarnings];
if (combinedWarnings.length > 0) {
envelope.warnings = combinedWarnings;
}
coreOutput(envelope, raw);

View File

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
* AC5: first-party caps unaffected; writer still rejects truly-unknown ids.
*/
const { describe, test, before, after } = require('node:test');
const { describe, test, after } = require('node:test');
const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
const fs = require('node:fs');
const os = require('node:os');