Files
PaperClipAI/server
DottaandPaperclip 92c3d9f0d9 fix(server): stop requiring PAPERCLIP_DECISION_SIGNING_SECRET at startup (#10594)
## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - The server signs decision specifications with an HMAC
> - PR #10010 made `PAPERCLIP_DECISION_SIGNING_SECRET` a hard startup
requirement
> - Existing installs do not have this new environment variable
> - Those installs now stop during startup
> - This pull request uses a secure persisted instance key when the
override is absent
> - The benefit is that existing installs start without new
configuration and decision signing remains fail-closed

## Linked Issues or Issue Description

**What happened?**

After #10010, `startServer()` throws when
`PAPERCLIP_DECISION_SIGNING_SECRET` is unset or shorter than 32
characters. Existing installs without the new environment variable stop
at startup.

**Expected behavior**

The server starts without manual configuration. A new optional feature
must not add a required environment variable for existing installs.

**Steps to reproduce**

1. Check out `master` at 9c1f8e7887.
2. Unset `PAPERCLIP_DECISION_SIGNING_SECRET`.
3. Start the server.
4. Observe that startup stops with a missing-secret error.

**Paperclip version or commit**

`master` at 9c1f8e7887.

**Deployment mode**

All deployment modes are affected when the environment variable is
absent.

## What Changed

- Treat `PAPERCLIP_DECISION_SIGNING_SECRET` as an optional override.
- Generate a random per-instance key at
`<instance>/secrets/decision-signing.key` when the override is absent.
- Publish a complete first-time key with an atomic no-overwrite link so
concurrent server starts use one key.
- Repair permissive modes on process-owned secrets directories and
regular key files, reject planted symlinks or foreign-owned paths, and
fail startup if `0700`/`0600` cannot be enforced.
- Keep an explicitly configured secret shorter than 32 characters as a
startup error.
- Add startup, permission, planted-symlink, fail-closed verification,
and generated-key round-trip tests.

## Verification

- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/server exec vitest run
src/__tests__/decisions-service.test.ts
src/__tests__/server-startup-feedback-export.test.ts` — 45 tests passed.
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/server exec tsc --noEmit` — passed.
- Eight simultaneous resolver processes returned the same persisted key.
The secrets directory/key modes were `0700`/`0600`.
- `git diff --check` — passed.

## Risks

- Existing configured secrets remain unchanged.
- Removing a configured secret after a proposal makes the prior
signature fail verification. Restoring the secret restores verification.
- A restored secrets directory or key with unsafe permissions now fails
startup when the server cannot repair it to `0700`/`0600`; symlinks and
paths owned by another local user are rejected rather than trusted.
- The generated key uses an atomic hard link in the instance secrets
directory. An unsupported file system fails startup instead of replacing
an existing key.
- Existing installs that failed at startup did not sign decisions with a
missing key.

> For core feature work, check [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) first and
discuss it in `#dev` before opening the PR. Feature PRs that overlap
with planned core work may need to be redirected — check the roadmap
first. See `CONTRIBUTING.md`.

## Model Used

- Anthropic Claude Fable 5, model ID `claude-fable-5`, produced the
initial implementation with extended reasoning and tool use.
- OpenAI Codex, model ID `gpt-5`, addressed review findings and prepared
the PR with reasoning, repository editing, code execution, and GitHub
tooling. The runtime did not expose the context-window size.

## 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>
2026-07-31 22:48:32 -07:00
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