Files
PaperClipAI/server/src
DottaandClaude Opus 5.5 492316e576 fix(plugins): accept secret_ref bindings in string secret-ref config fields (#20181)
## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - Plugins declare their settings in an `instanceConfigSchema`, and the
server validates each save against that schema
> - Plugin credential fields use `type: "string", format: "secret-ref"`
> - The settings form, the plugin secrets handler and the plugin SDK all
use the `{ type: "secret_ref", secretId, version }` binding object for
these fields, and the secrets handler rejects a bare secret id
> - Schema validation ran on the raw config, so the binding object
failed with "must be string" and no value could be saved
> - This pull request validates the binding's secret id in place of the
binding object
> - The benefit is that an operator can bind a company secret to a
plugin credential field from the settings page or the API

## Linked Issues or Issue Description

**What happened**
`POST /api/plugins/:pluginId/config` returned 400 "Configuration does
not match the plugin's instanceConfigSchema" with
`{"field":"/apiKey","message":"must be string"}` when the config held `{
"apiKey": { "type": "secret_ref", "secretId": "<uuid>", "version":
"latest" } }` for a field declared `{ "type": "string", "format":
"secret-ref" }`. A bare UUID string passes the schema but the secrets
handler then rejects it ("must use { type: \"secret_ref\", secretId,
version? }"). So no value could be saved for a required secret-ref
field.

**Expected behavior**
The binding object that the settings form submits and that
`ctx.secrets.resolve()` accepts is saved. Other schema rules still
apply.

**Steps to reproduce**
1. Install a plugin whose manifest has
`instanceConfigSchema.properties.apiKey = { "type": "string", "format":
"secret-ref" }`.
2. Create a company secret.
3. On the plugin settings page, pick that secret for the field and click
Save Configuration (or POST the binding object to
`/api/plugins/:pluginId/config`).
4. See the 400 "must be string" response.

Found while getting the chat eval cases `plugins.configure-plugin` and
`plugins.disable-plugin` to run. Their setup and the human's
settings-page save both hit this error.

## What Changed

- `validateInstanceConfig` now replaces each valid `secret_ref` binding
object at a schema `format: "secret-ref"` path with its secret id before
Ajv validates. The stored config and the config sent to the worker do
not change.
- The walk follows array `items` (single and tuple) and objects inside
arrays as well as object properties and `allOf`/`anyOf`/`oneOf`, so
secret pickers inside array fields can save too.
- A binding is accepted only when `envBindingSecretRefSchema` (the
secrets handler's own parser) accepts it, so validation and the secrets
handler agree on what is a valid binding.
- Malformed bindings and objects in ordinary string fields still fail
validation.
- Added `server/src/__tests__/plugin-config-validator.test.ts`.

## Verification

- `cd server && npx vitest run
src/__tests__/plugin-config-validator.test.ts
src/__tests__/plugin-routes-authz.test.ts
src/__tests__/plugin-sandbox-provider-config-validation.test.ts`: 48
passed.
- The new test fails on `master` without the fix (3 of 3 fail) and
passes with it.
- `cd server && npx vitest run
src/__tests__/plugin-config-validator.test.ts`: 6 passed after the
array/parser follow-up; the 3 follow-up tests fail on the previous
commit.
- `cd server && pnpm typecheck`: passes.

## Risks

- Low risk. Only configs that held a valid binding object at a declared
secret-ref path change result, from a 400 to accepted. The secrets
handler still checks that the secret belongs to the company.

## Model Used

- Anthropic Claude Opus 5.5 (`claude-opus-5-5`), tool use and code
execution in Claude Code.

## 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
- [ ] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [ ] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-11-09 00:37:00 -06:00
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