fix: isolate repository-free low-trust tasks in private directories (#14766)

## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip manages work by agents within company boundaries.
> - Email tasks can run under the low-trust review preset.
> - These tasks must use an isolated workspace and a sandbox.
> - The default workspace strategy assumed that the project had a Git
repository.
> - A project without a configured workspace failed before the agent
could start.
> - This change gives each such task a private directory and keeps the
sandbox requirement.

## Linked Issues or Issue Description

**What happened?**
An inbound email assigned to a low-trust agent failed with
`git_worktree_base_not_git_checkout` when its boundary project had no
configured workspace. Setup had accepted the project and sandbox.

**Expected behavior**
The agent can process email without a repository. Its workspace stays
isolated from other tasks and the shared agent home.

**Steps to reproduce**
1. Select a low-trust agent with an active sandbox and a project
boundary.
2. Leave the project without a configured workspace.
3. Receive an email through AgentMail.
4. Observe that startup fails before provider work starts.

**Paperclip version or commit**
Reproduced against `5edf55d73`.

**Deployment mode**
Hosted staging with sandbox execution.

Related: #13256 added email tasks. #13636 fixed default isolation for
projects without workspaces; the explicit isolation used by low-trust
tasks still needed this path.

## What Changed

- Select private task directories for low-trust sandbox tasks with no
configured workspace or explicit workspace strategy.
- Keep each directory scoped to its company and task. Retain files
across turns and reassignment and reject symlink paths and mismatched
workspace reuse.
- Preserve Git validation for configured workspaces and explicit
strategies, plus the existing authorization and remote gates for
referenced projects.
- Add a startup regression and directory isolation tests. Document the
supported repository-free path.

## Verification

- The startup regression failed before the fix with the same Git
validation error.
- 260 targeted email, workspace policy, heartbeat, referenced-project
and directory tests pass.
- Full `pnpm -r typecheck` and `pnpm build` pass on the latest commit.
- All CI checks, including the complete sharded test suite and canary
dry run, pass on `b4ccd9802b09b2e95499df72d48b4a3906b8c328`.
- The final commit also passes the same server shard locally: 60 files,
1,024 passed / 6 skipped tests. The earlier all-groups local run was
interrupted during follow-up edits; complete-suite verification comes
from CI on the final commit.
- Deployed the reviewed commit to staging and independently verified the
full serving SHA. Two real Codex runs in Daytona succeeded and finalized
the same private company/task workspace. The first wrote a 35-byte
marker; the second read the existing file without modifying it and
returned the independently verified SHA-256
`ce3bbeb44d07ca6822826d3a5945752a38d30b356d10829f3159a191e5aa92a6`.
- Live runtime caveat: Codex reported a nested `bwrap` loopback
permission error and used its configured escalated execution inside
Daytona. The outer Daytona sandbox remained active for both runs.
- The startup regression uses a real database, production trust checks,
workspace persistence, sandbox lease acquisition and realization, and a
fake provider. It checks reassignment and allows only an authorized
referenced project.
- The transfer regression runs production archive/sync-back/merge code
against distinct filesystem roots: create output in one sandbox, restore
it, then read and update it in a fresh sandbox. The provider I/O is
emulated; live staging verification is separate.

## Risks

- The new default applies only to low-trust sandbox tasks without
workspace configuration. Standard agents and explicit Git strategies
keep their existing behavior.
- Task directories retain work across turns and consume instance
storage. The change does not migrate or copy existing shared files.
- No database migration or credential changes are required.

## Model Used

OpenAI GPT-6 through Codex, with reasoning, repository inspection, code
execution, and browser tools. The exact runtime model revision and
context window are not exposed in this session.

## Checklist

- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability
details)
- [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate
planned core work
- [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked
them above
- [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or
links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip`
URLs)
- [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`)
and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details
- [x] I have run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [x] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge

---------

Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
This commit is contained in:
DottaandPaperclip authored and GitHub committed 2026-09-30 18:06:07 -05:00
1 parent 1d23cb6962
commit f7e36ba3e2
6 files changed
+320 -2

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@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@ import os from "node:os";
import path from "node:path";
import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
import { afterAll, afterEach, beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
import { agents, companies, createDb, heartbeatRuns, issues, projects, projectWorkspaces } from "@paperclipai/db";
import { agents, companies, createDb, environments, executionWorkspaces, heartbeatRuns, issues, projects, projectWorkspaces } from "@paperclipai/db";
import { setExpensiveWorkspaceGitExecutor } from "@paperclipai/adapter-utils/git-workspace-sync";
import { buildProjectMentionHref } from "@paperclipai/shared";
import { createWorkspaceGitOperationScheduler, WorkspaceGitScanError } from "../services/workspace-git-operation-scheduler.js";
import { getEmbeddedPostgresTestSupport, startEmbeddedPostgresTestDatabase } from "./helpers/embedded-postgres.js";
import { heartbeatService } from "../services/heartbeat.ts";
import { instanceSettingsService } from "../services/instance-settings.ts";
import { environmentRuntimeService } from "../services/environment-runtime.js";
import { drainHeartbeatRunsToQuiescence } from "./helpers/drain-heartbeat-runs.js";
const execute = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn(async (_input: any) => ({ exitCode: 0, signal: null, timedOut: false })));
@@ -50,12 +52,89 @@ suite("task project repository provisioning", () => {
afterEach(async () => {
await drainHeartbeatRunsToQuiescence(db, heartbeat);
setExpensiveWorkspaceGitExecutor(null);
vi.stubEnv("PAPERCLIP_MULTI_PROJECT_WORKSPACE_SYNC", "false");
await instanceSettingsService(db).updateExperimental({
enableIsolatedWorkspaces: false,
enableIsolatedWorkspacesByDefault: false,
});
});
it("isolates repository-free low-trust tasks while preserving reassignment and authorized referenced projects", async () => {
const companyId = randomUUID(), projectId = randomUUID(), agentId = randomUUID(), environmentId = randomUUID();
const referencedProjectId = randomUUID(), deniedProjectId = randomUUID();
vi.stubEnv("PAPERCLIP_MULTI_PROJECT_WORKSPACE_SYNC", "true");
await instanceSettingsService(db).updateExperimental({ enableIsolatedWorkspaces: true });
await db.insert(companies).values({ id: companyId, name: "Email company", issuePrefix: `E${companyId.slice(0, 6)}`, defaultResponsibleUserId: "responsible-user" });
await db.insert(projects).values({ id: projectId, companyId, name: "Onboarding" });
for (const id of [referencedProjectId, deniedProjectId]) {
const source = path.join(root, companyId, id);
await mkdir(source, { recursive: true });
await writeFile(path.join(source, "reference.txt"), id);
await db.insert(projects).values({ id, companyId, name: id });
await db.insert(projectWorkspaces).values({ id: randomUUID(), companyId, projectId: id, name: "Reference", sourceType: "local_path", cwd: source, isPrimary: true });
}
await db.insert(environments).values({ id: environmentId, name: "Email sandbox", driver: "sandbox", status: "active", config: { provider: "fake", image: "fake:test" } });
await db.insert(agents).values({
id: agentId, companyId, name: "Email agent", role: "engineer", status: "idle", adapterType: "codex_local",
defaultEnvironmentId: environmentId, adapterConfig: {}, runtimeConfig: {},
permissions: { trustPreset: "low_trust_review", authorizationPolicy: {
trustPreset: "low_trust_review", trustBoundary: { mode: "low_trust_review", companyId, projectIds: [projectId, referencedProjectId] },
} },
});
// Exercise the real lease and workspace lifecycle with the built-in fake
// provider, executing its setup commands in a disposable filesystem root.
const sandboxHeartbeat = heartbeatService(db, { environmentRuntime: {
...environmentRuntimeService(db),
execute: async (input) => ({
exitCode: 0,
stdout: execFileSync(input.command, input.args ?? [], { cwd: root, input: input.stdin, encoding: "utf8", env: { ...process.env, ...input.env } }),
stderr: "", signal: null, timedOut: false,
}),
} });
const directories: string[] = [];
const issueIds: string[] = [];
for (let index = 0; index < 2; index += 1) {
const issueId = randomUUID();
issueIds.push(issueId);
await db.insert(issues).values({
id: issueId, companyId, projectId, title: "Incoming email", originKind: "chat_channel", status: "todo", assigneeAgentId: agentId,
description: [referencedProjectId, deniedProjectId].map((id) => `[@Reference](${buildProjectMentionHref(id)})`).join(" "),
executionWorkspaceSettings: { mode: "isolated_workspace" },
});
const run = await sandboxHeartbeat.wakeup(agentId, { source: "on_demand", triggerDetail: "manual", contextSnapshot: { issueId, projectId } });
expect(run).not.toBeNull();
await vi.waitFor(async () => {
const latest = await sandboxHeartbeat.getRun(run!.id);
expect({ status: latest?.status, error: latest?.error }).toEqual({ status: "succeeded", error: null });
}, { timeout: 15_000 });
await drainHeartbeatRunsToQuiescence(db, sandboxHeartbeat);
const [workspace] = await db.select().from(executionWorkspaces).where(eq(executionWorkspaces.sourceIssueId, issueId));
expect(workspace).toMatchObject({ companyId, projectId, mode: "isolated_workspace", strategyType: "project_primary" });
expect(workspace.cwd).toContain(`/isolated-workspaces/${companyId}/${issueId}`);
expect(execute.mock.calls.filter(([input]) => input.runId === run!.id)).toHaveLength(1);
const call = execute.mock.calls.find(([input]) => input.runId === run!.id)![0];
expect(call.context.paperclipEnvironment.driver).toBe("sandbox");
expect(call.context.paperclipWorkspaces.map((workspace: { projectId: string }) => workspace.projectId)).toEqual([referencedProjectId]);
directories.push(workspace.cwd!);
await writeFile(path.join(workspace.cwd!, "email.txt"), `private email ${index}`);
}
expect(directories[0]).not.toBe(directories[1]);
expect(await readFile(path.join(directories[0], "email.txt"), "utf8")).toBe("private email 0");
const [originalAgent] = await db.select().from(agents).where(eq(agents.id, agentId));
const reassignedAgentId = randomUUID();
await db.insert(agents).values({ ...originalAgent, id: reassignedAgentId, name: "Next agent", status: "idle" });
await db.update(issues).set({ status: "todo", assigneeAgentId: reassignedAgentId }).where(eq(issues.id, issueIds[0]));
const reassignedRun = await sandboxHeartbeat.wakeup(reassignedAgentId, { source: "on_demand", triggerDetail: "manual", contextSnapshot: { issueId: issueIds[0], projectId } });
await vi.waitFor(async () => {
const latest = await sandboxHeartbeat.getRun(reassignedRun!.id);
expect({ status: latest?.status, error: latest?.error }).toEqual({ status: "succeeded", error: null });
}, { timeout: 15_000 });
await drainHeartbeatRunsToQuiescence(db, sandboxHeartbeat);
const reassignedCall = execute.mock.calls.find(([input]) => input.runId === reassignedRun!.id)![0];
expect(reassignedCall.context.paperclipWorkspace.cwd).toBe(directories[0]);
expect(await readFile(path.join(directories[0], "email.txt"), "utf8")).toBe("private email 0");
}, 40_000);
it.each([
{ scenario: "no configured workspace", configuredWorkspace: false, explicitIsolation: null },
{ scenario: "configured Git workspace", configuredWorkspace: true, explicitIsolation: null },
+52 -1
View File
@@ -324,6 +324,7 @@ import {
nativeChatWorkspaceCwd,
nativeChatWorkspaceMatches,
} from "./native-runtime/native-chat-workspace.js";
import { materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory, shouldUseIsolatedTaskDirectory } from "./isolated-task-directory.js";
import { trackAgentFirstHeartbeat } from "@paperclipai/shared/telemetry";
import { getTelemetryClient } from "../telemetry.js";
import {
@@ -12574,9 +12575,10 @@ export function heartbeatService(
opts?: {
useProjectWorkspace?: boolean | null;
executionEnvironmentDriver?: string | null;
anchorWorkspace?: ResolvedAnchorWorkspaceForRun;
},
): Promise<ResolvedWorkspaceForRun> {
const anchor = await resolveAnchorWorkspaceForRun(
const anchor = opts?.anchorWorkspace ?? await resolveAnchorWorkspaceForRun(
agent,
context,
previousSessionParams,
@@ -21451,6 +21453,19 @@ export function heartbeatService(
);
}
}
const useIsolatedTaskDirectory = issueRef !== null && shouldUseIsolatedTaskDirectory({
trustPreset: trustPreset.kind,
environmentDriver: selectedEnvironmentForConfig?.driver ?? null,
mode: requestedExecutionWorkspaceMode,
hasProjectWorkspace: projectContext?.hasWorkspace ?? false,
projectWorkspaceId: issueRef.projectWorkspaceId,
workspaceStrategies: [
config.workspaceStrategy,
issueAssigneeOverrides?.adapterConfig?.workspaceStrategy,
projectExecutionWorkspacePolicy?.workspaceStrategy,
issueExecutionWorkspaceSettings?.workspaceStrategy,
],
});
const workspaceManagedConfig = buildExecutionWorkspaceAdapterConfig({
agentConfig: config,
projectPolicy: projectExecutionWorkspacePolicy,
@@ -21462,6 +21477,9 @@ export function heartbeatService(
const mergedConfig = {
...workspaceManagedConfig,
...(issueAssigneeOverrides?.adapterConfig ?? {}),
// The base below is already task-owned. Keep directory transport while
// preserving isolated mode and the mandatory sandbox preflight.
...(useIsolatedTaskDirectory ? { workspaceStrategy: { type: "project_primary" } } : {}),
};
const configSnapshot = buildExecutionWorkspaceConfigSnapshot(
mergedConfig,
@@ -21743,6 +21761,39 @@ export function heartbeatService(
return preflightEnvironment.driver;
},
resolveWorkspace: async () => {
if (useIsolatedTaskDirectory && issueRef) {
const cwd = await materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory({
companyId: agent.companyId,
issueId: issueRef.id,
});
if (reusableExistingExecutionWorkspace && (
reusableExistingExecutionWorkspace.companyId !== agent.companyId ||
reusableExistingExecutionWorkspace.projectId !== issueRef.projectId ||
reusableExistingExecutionWorkspace.sourceIssueId !== issueRef.id ||
reusableExistingExecutionWorkspace.mode !== "isolated_workspace" ||
reusableExistingExecutionWorkspace.strategyType !== "project_primary" ||
reusableExistingExecutionWorkspace.cwd !== cwd
)) {
throw new WorkspaceValidationFailure("The existing execution workspace is not this task's isolated directory.", {
workspaceValidation: { reason: "isolated_task_directory_binding_mismatch", issueId: issueRef.id },
});
}
return resolveWorkspaceForRun(agent, context, previousSessionParams, {
executionEnvironmentDriver: selectedEnvironmentForConfig?.driver ?? null,
anchorWorkspace: {
cwd,
source: "task_session",
projectId: issueRef.projectId,
workspaceId: null,
repoUrl: null,
repoRef: null,
workspaceHints: [],
warnings: [],
baseCwdFallback: false,
materializationFailures: [],
},
});
}
if (nativeChatWorkspaceScope && !nativeChatWorkspaceScope.projectId) {
const cwd = await materializeNativeChatTaskRoot(
nativeChatWorkspaceScope,
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
import { cp, mkdir, mkdtemp, readFile, readdir, rm, symlink, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
import { execFile as execFileCallback } from "node:child_process";
import { promisify } from "node:util";
import os from "node:os";
import path from "node:path";
import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
import { materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory, shouldUseIsolatedTaskDirectory } from "./isolated-task-directory.js";
import { prepareSandboxManagedRuntime, type SandboxManagedRuntimeClient, type SandboxSyncOperation } from "@paperclipai/adapter-utils/sandbox-managed-runtime";
const execFile = promisify(execFileCallback);
const policy = {
trustPreset: "low_trust_review",
environmentDriver: "sandbox",
mode: "isolated_workspace",
hasProjectWorkspace: false,
projectWorkspaceId: null,
workspaceStrategies: [undefined, null, {}],
};
describe("repository-free low-trust workspace selection", () => {
it("selects a private directory for sandbox tasks without a repository", () => {
expect(shouldUseIsolatedTaskDirectory(policy)).toBe(true);
});
it.each([
{ trustPreset: "standard" },
{ environmentDriver: "local" },
{ environmentDriver: "ssh" },
{ mode: "shared_workspace" },
{ hasProjectWorkspace: true },
{ projectWorkspaceId: "workspace-1" },
{ workspaceStrategies: [{ type: "git_worktree" }] },
{ workspaceStrategies: [{ existingBranch: "main" }] },
{ workspaceStrategies: [{ provisionCommand: "setup" }] },
])("preserves configured workspace requirements: %j", (override) => {
expect(shouldUseIsolatedTaskDirectory({ ...policy, ...override })).toBe(false);
});
});
describe("isolated task directories", () => {
let root: string | undefined;
afterEach(async () => {
vi.unstubAllEnvs();
if (root) await rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
});
async function setup() {
root = await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "paperclip-isolated-task-"));
vi.stubEnv("PAPERCLIP_HOME", root);
return { companyId: "company-1", issueId: "issue-1" };
}
it("retains a task's files across turns without sharing them with another task or company", async () => {
const identity = await setup();
const cwd = await materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory(identity);
await writeFile(path.join(cwd, "notes.txt"), "private task output");
expect(await materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory(identity)).toBe(cwd);
expect(await readFile(path.join(cwd, "notes.txt"), "utf8")).toBe("private task output");
for (const other of [{ issueId: "issue-2" }, { companyId: "company-2" }]) {
const otherCwd = await materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory({ ...identity, ...other });
expect(otherCwd).not.toBe(cwd);
expect(otherCwd.startsWith(`${cwd}${path.sep}`)).toBe(false);
expect(await readdir(otherCwd)).toEqual([]);
}
});
it("rejects a symlink to another task's directory", async () => {
const identity = await setup();
const cwd = await materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory(identity);
await symlink(cwd, path.join(path.dirname(cwd), "issue-2"));
await expect(materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory({ ...identity, issueId: "issue-2" }))
.rejects.toThrow("not a private directory");
});
it("round-trips sandbox output into the task directory and stages it on the next turn", async () => {
const identity = await setup();
const cwd = await materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory(identity);
// Only provider I/O is emulated. Production archive, ignore, sync-back and
// merge logic runs against distinct host and remote filesystem roots.
const transfer = async (operations: SandboxSyncOperation[]) => ({
operations: await Promise.all(operations.map(async (operation) => {
for (const file of operation.files) {
await mkdir(path.dirname(file.targetPath), { recursive: true });
await cp(file.sourcePath, file.targetPath, { recursive: true, dereference: file.followSymlinks ?? false });
}
for (const command of operation.postUploadCommands ?? []) {
await execFile("sh", ["-c", command.command]);
}
return { operationId: operation.operationId, filesTransferred: operation.files.length, bytesTransferred: 0 };
})),
});
const client: SandboxManagedRuntimeClient = {
makeDir: async (target) => { await mkdir(target, { recursive: true }); },
writeFile: async (target, bytes) => { await writeFile(target, Buffer.from(bytes)); },
readFile: async (target) => readFile(target),
listFiles: async (target) => readdir(target),
remove: async (target) => { await rm(target, { recursive: true, force: true }); },
run: async (command) => { await execFile("sh", ["-c", command]); },
syncIn: transfer,
syncOut: transfer,
};
for (let turn = 0; turn < 2; turn += 1) {
const remoteCwd = path.join(root!, `sandbox-${turn}`);
const runtime = await prepareSandboxManagedRuntime({
spec: { transport: "sandbox", provider: "test", sandboxId: `turn-${turn}`, remoteCwd, timeoutMs: 30_000, apiKey: null },
adapterKey: "test",
client,
workspaceLocalDir: cwd,
});
if (turn === 0) {
await writeFile(path.join(remoteCwd, "result.txt"), "created in sandbox");
} else {
expect(await readFile(path.join(remoteCwd, "result.txt"), "utf8")).toBe("created in sandbox");
await writeFile(path.join(remoteCwd, "result.txt"), "continued in a new sandbox");
}
await runtime.restoreWorkspace();
}
expect(await readFile(path.join(cwd, "result.txt"), "utf8")).toBe("continued in a new sandbox");
const other = await materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory({ ...identity, issueId: "issue-2" });
expect(await readdir(other)).toEqual([]);
});
it("rejects path traversal identities", async () => {
const identity = await setup();
await expect(materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory({ ...identity, issueId: "../outside" }))
.rejects.toThrow("Invalid isolated task workspace identity");
});
});
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
import { lstat, mkdir, realpath } from "node:fs/promises";
import path from "node:path";
import { parseObject } from "../adapters/utils.js";
import { resolvePaperclipInstanceRoot } from "../home-paths.js";
/** A repository-free sandbox task needs isolation, but has no Git base. */
export function shouldUseIsolatedTaskDirectory(input: {
trustPreset: string;
environmentDriver: string | null;
mode: string;
hasProjectWorkspace: boolean;
projectWorkspaceId: string | null;
workspaceStrategies: unknown[];
}): boolean {
return input.trustPreset === "low_trust_review"
&& input.environmentDriver === "sandbox"
&& input.mode === "isolated_workspace"
&& !input.hasProjectWorkspace
&& !input.projectWorkspaceId
// Never discard an explicit repository/branch requirement or setup hook.
&& input.workspaceStrategies.every((value) => Object.keys(parseObject(value)).length === 0);
}
/** Stable across turns, separate from project roots and shared agent homes. */
export async function materializeIsolatedTaskDirectory(input: {
companyId: string;
issueId: string;
}): Promise<string> {
// Files belong to the task, so reassignment preserves the same workspace.
const identities = [input.companyId, input.issueId];
if (identities.some((value) => !/^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$/.test(value))) {
throw new Error("Invalid isolated task workspace identity");
}
const root = resolvePaperclipInstanceRoot();
await mkdir(root, { recursive: true });
let cwd = await realpath(root);
for (const segment of ["isolated-workspaces", ...identities]) {
cwd = path.join(cwd, segment);
await mkdir(cwd, { mode: 0o700 }).catch((error: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => {
if (error.code !== "EEXIST") throw error;
});
const stat = await lstat(cwd);
if (!stat.isDirectory() || stat.isSymbolicLink() || await realpath(cwd) !== cwd) {
throw new Error("Isolated task workspace path is not a private directory");
}
}
return cwd;
}