fix: enforce tool-dispatch policy + media (#1235) (thanks @dougvk)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.clawd.bot
 - Web search: infer Perplexity base URL from API key source (direct vs OpenRouter).
 - TUI: keep thinking blocks ordered before content during streaming and isolate per-run assembly. (#1202) — thanks @aaronveklabs.
 - CLI: avoid duplicating --profile/--dev flags when formatting commands.
+- Agents: enforce tool policy/sandbox rules for tool-dispatched skill commands and forward tool media outputs. (#1235) — thanks @dougvk.
 
 ## 2026.1.19-3
 

docs/tools/skills.md

@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ Notes:
 
     The tool is invoked with params:
     `{ command: "<raw args>", commandName: "<slash command>", skillName: "<skill name>" }`.
+    Tool-dispatch commands still respect tool policies/sandbox rules (same as normal model tools).
+    Replies are derived from tool results; include `MEDIA:` tokens or media URLs in tool output to send attachments.
 
 ## Gating (load-time filters)
 

docs/tools/slash-commands.md

@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ Notes:
 - **Skill commands:** `user-invocable` skills are exposed as slash commands. Names are sanitized to `a-z0-9_` (max 32 chars); collisions get numeric suffixes (e.g. `_2`).
   - By default, skill commands are forwarded to the model as a normal request.
   - Skills may optionally declare `command-dispatch: tool` to route the command directly to a tool (deterministic, no model).
+  - Tool-dispatch still respects tool policies/sandbox rules; replies use the tool result text/media (including `MEDIA:` tokens).
 - **Native command arguments:** Discord uses autocomplete for dynamic options (and button menus when you omit required args). Telegram and Slack show a button menu when a command supports choices and you omit the arg.
 
 ## Usage surfaces (what shows where)

src/agents/session-tool-result-guard.tool-result-persist-hook.test.ts

@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import { describe, expect, it, afterEach } from "vitest";
 
 import { loadClawdbotPlugins } from "../plugins/loader.js";
 import { resetGlobalHookRunner } from "../plugins/hook-runner-global.js";
+import { setActivePluginRegistry } from "../plugins/runtime.js";
+import { createTestRegistry } from "../test-utils/channel-plugins.js";
 import { guardSessionManager } from "./session-tool-result-guard-wrapper.js";
 
 const EMPTY_CONFIG_SCHEMA = `configSchema: {
@@ -22,7 +24,15 @@ function writeTempPlugin(params: { dir: string; id: string; body: string }): str
   return file;
 }
 
+const ORIGINAL_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR = process.env.CLAWDBOT_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR;
+
 afterEach(() => {
+  if (ORIGINAL_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR === undefined) {
+    delete process.env.CLAWDBOT_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR;
+  } else {
+    process.env.CLAWDBOT_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR = ORIGINAL_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR;
+  }
+  setActivePluginRegistry(createTestRegistry([]));
   resetGlobalHookRunner();
 });
 

src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-inline-actions.tool-dispatch.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+
+import type { SkillCommandSpec } from "../../agents/skills.js";
+import type { AnyAgentTool } from "../../agents/pi-tools.types.js";
+import type { ClawdbotConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
+import type { MsgContext, TemplateContext } from "../templating.js";
+import type { InlineDirectives } from "./directive-handling.js";
+import { parseInlineDirectives } from "./directive-handling.js";
+import type { TypingController } from "./typing.js";
+import { handleInlineActions } from "./get-reply-inline-actions.js";
+
+vi.mock("../../agents/clawdbot-tools.js", () => ({
+  createClawdbotTools: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+import { createClawdbotTools } from "../../agents/clawdbot-tools.js";
+
+const mockedCreateClawdbotTools = vi.mocked(createClawdbotTools);
+
+const createTypingController = (): TypingController => ({
+  onReplyStart: vi.fn(),
+  startTypingLoop: vi.fn(),
+  startTypingOnText: vi.fn(),
+  refreshTypingTtl: vi.fn(),
+  isActive: vi.fn(() => false),
+  markRunComplete: vi.fn(),
+  markDispatchIdle: vi.fn(),
+  cleanup: vi.fn(),
+});
+
+const baseCommand = {
+  surface: "slack",
+  channel: "slack",
+  ownerList: [],
+  isAuthorizedSender: true,
+  rawBodyNormalized: "/dispatch",
+  commandBodyNormalized: "/dispatch",
+  senderId: "user-1",
+};
+
+const baseDirectives = parseInlineDirectives("/dispatch") as InlineDirectives;
+
+function createParams(overrides: Partial<Parameters<typeof handleInlineActions>[0]> = {}) {
+  const cfg = (overrides.cfg ??
+    ({
+      tools: {
+        allow: ["tool_allowed"],
+      },
+    } as ClawdbotConfig)) as ClawdbotConfig;
+  return {
+    ctx: {
+      Surface: "slack",
+      Provider: "slack",
+      AccountId: "default",
+    } satisfies MsgContext as MsgContext,
+    sessionCtx: {
+      Body: "",
+      BodyForAgent: "",
+      BodyStripped: "",
+    } satisfies TemplateContext as TemplateContext,
+    cfg,
+    agentId: "main",
+    agentDir: "/tmp",
+    sessionEntry: undefined,
+    previousSessionEntry: undefined,
+    sessionStore: undefined,
+    sessionKey: "main",
+    storePath: undefined,
+    sessionScope: "per-sender",
+    workspaceDir: "/tmp",
+    isGroup: false,
+    opts: undefined,
+    typing: createTypingController(),
+    allowTextCommands: true,
+    inlineStatusRequested: false,
+    command: baseCommand,
+    skillCommands: [],
+    directives: baseDirectives,
+    cleanedBody: "/dispatch",
+    elevatedEnabled: false,
+    elevatedAllowed: false,
+    elevatedFailures: [],
+    defaultActivation: () => "always",
+    resolvedThinkLevel: "off",
+    resolvedVerboseLevel: "off",
+    resolvedReasoningLevel: "off",
+    resolvedElevatedLevel: "off",
+    resolveDefaultThinkingLevel: async () => undefined,
+    provider: "openai",
+    model: "gpt-4o-mini",
+    contextTokens: 0,
+    directiveAck: undefined,
+    abortedLastRun: false,
+    skillFilter: undefined,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function createTool(name: string, execute: AnyAgentTool["execute"]): AnyAgentTool {
+  return {
+    name,
+    label: name,
+    description: name,
+    parameters: {},
+    execute,
+  } as AnyAgentTool;
+}
+
+describe("handleInlineActions tool-dispatch", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockedCreateClawdbotTools.mockReset();
+  });
+
+  it("returns media payloads from tool results", async () => {
+    const tool = createTool("tool_allowed", async () => ({
+      content: [{ type: "text", text: "Done\nMEDIA:/tmp/photo.jpg" }],
+    }));
+    mockedCreateClawdbotTools.mockReturnValue([tool]);
+
+    const skillCommands: SkillCommandSpec[] = [
+      {
+        name: "dispatch",
+        skillName: "dispatch",
+        description: "Dispatch",
+        dispatch: { kind: "tool", toolName: "tool_allowed", argMode: "raw" },
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const result = await handleInlineActions(
+      createParams({
+        command: { ...baseCommand, commandBodyNormalized: "/dispatch hi" },
+        skillCommands,
+        cleanedBody: "/dispatch hi",
+      }),
+    );
+
+    expect(result.kind).toBe("reply");
+    const reply = (result as { reply?: unknown }).reply as { text?: string; mediaUrl?: string };
+    expect(reply.text).toBe("Done");
+    expect(reply.mediaUrl).toBe("file:///tmp/photo.jpg");
+  });
+
+  it("blocks tool dispatch when policy disallows the tool", async () => {
+    const allowed = createTool("tool_allowed", async () => ({ content: "ok" }));
+    const blocked = createTool("tool_blocked", async () => ({ content: "nope" }));
+    mockedCreateClawdbotTools.mockReturnValue([allowed, blocked]);
+
+    const cfg = {
+      tools: {
+        allow: ["tool_allowed"],
+      },
+    } as ClawdbotConfig;
+
+    const skillCommands: SkillCommandSpec[] = [
+      {
+        name: "dispatch",
+        skillName: "dispatch",
+        description: "Dispatch",
+        dispatch: { kind: "tool", toolName: "tool_blocked", argMode: "raw" },
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const result = await handleInlineActions(
+      createParams({
+        cfg,
+        skillCommands,
+        command: { ...baseCommand, commandBodyNormalized: "/dispatch arg" },
+        cleanedBody: "/dispatch arg",
+      }),
+    );
+
+    expect(result.kind).toBe("reply");
+    const reply = (result as { reply?: { text?: string; isError?: boolean } }).reply;
+    expect(reply?.text).toContain("Tool blocked by policy");
+    expect(reply?.isError).toBe(true);
+  });
+});

src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-inline-actions.ts

@@ -1,21 +1,47 @@
+import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
+
 import { getChannelDock } from "../../channels/dock.js";
 import type { SkillCommandSpec } from "../../agents/skills.js";
+import type { AnyAgentTool } from "../../agents/pi-tools.types.js";
 import type { ClawdbotConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
 import type { SessionEntry } from "../../config/sessions.js";
 import type { MsgContext, TemplateContext } from "../templating.js";
 import type { ElevatedLevel, ReasoningLevel, ThinkLevel, VerboseLevel } from "../thinking.js";
 import type { GetReplyOptions, ReplyPayload } from "../types.js";
+import {
+  resolveSubagentToolPolicy,
+  resolveEffectiveToolPolicy,
+  filterToolsByPolicy,
+} from "../../agents/pi-tools.policy.js";
+import {
+  buildPluginToolGroups,
+  collectExplicitAllowlist,
+  expandPolicyWithPluginGroups,
+  normalizeToolName,
+  resolveToolProfilePolicy,
+} from "../../agents/tool-policy.js";
+import {
+  resolveSandboxRuntimeStatus,
+  formatSandboxToolPolicyBlockedMessage,
+} from "../../agents/sandbox/runtime-status.js";
+import { isSubagentSessionKey } from "../../routing/session-key.js";
+import { resolveUserPath } from "../../utils.js";
 import { getAbortMemory } from "./abort.js";
 import { buildStatusReply, handleCommands } from "./commands.js";
 import type { InlineDirectives } from "./directive-handling.js";
 import { isDirectiveOnly } from "./directive-handling.js";
 import type { createModelSelectionState } from "./model-selection.js";
 import { extractInlineSimpleCommand } from "./reply-inline.js";
+import { parseReplyDirectives } from "./reply-directives.js";
 import type { TypingController } from "./typing.js";
 import { listSkillCommandsForWorkspace, resolveSkillCommandInvocation } from "../skill-commands.js";
 import { logVerbose } from "../../globals.js";
 import { createClawdbotTools } from "../../agents/clawdbot-tools.js";
-import { resolveGatewayMessageChannel } from "../../utils/message-channel.js";
+import {
+  resolveGatewayMessageChannel,
+  type GatewayMessageChannel,
+} from "../../utils/message-channel.js";
+import { getPluginToolMeta } from "../../plugins/tools.js";
 
 export type InlineActionResult =
   | { kind: "reply"; reply: ReplyPayload | ReplyPayload[] | undefined }
@@ -25,9 +51,20 @@ export type InlineActionResult =
       abortedLastRun: boolean;
     };
 
-function extractTextFromToolResult(result: any): string | null {
+function normalizeMediaUrlCandidate(raw: string): string | null {
-  if (!result || typeof result !== "object") return null;
+  const trimmed = raw.trim();
-  const content = (result as { content?: unknown }).content;
+  if (!trimmed) return null;
+  if (/^https?:\/\//i.test(trimmed)) return trimmed;
+  if (trimmed.startsWith("file://")) return trimmed;
+  const resolved = trimmed.startsWith("~") ? resolveUserPath(trimmed) : trimmed;
+  if (resolved.startsWith("/")) {
+    return pathToFileURL(resolved).toString();
+  }
+  if (resolved.startsWith("./") || resolved.startsWith("../")) return resolved;
+  return trimmed;
+}
+
+function extractTextFromToolResultContent(content: unknown): string | null {
   if (typeof content === "string") {
     const trimmed = content.trim();
     return trimmed ? trimmed : null;
@@ -42,9 +79,202 @@ function extractTextFromToolResult(result: any): string | null {
       parts.push(rec.text);
     }
   }
-  const out = parts.join("");
+  const out = parts.join("\n").trim();
-  const trimmed = out.trim();
+  return out ? out : null;
-  return trimmed ? trimmed : null;
+}
+
+function extractMediaUrlsFromDetails(details: unknown): string[] {
+  if (!details || typeof details !== "object") return [];
+  const record = details as Record<string, unknown>;
+  const candidates: string[] = [];
+  const mediaUrls = record.mediaUrls;
+  if (Array.isArray(mediaUrls)) {
+    for (const entry of mediaUrls) {
+      if (typeof entry === "string") candidates.push(entry);
+    }
+  }
+  const mediaUrl = record.mediaUrl;
+  if (typeof mediaUrl === "string") candidates.push(mediaUrl);
+  const media = record.media;
+  if (typeof media === "string") candidates.push(media);
+  const path = record.path;
+  if (typeof path === "string") candidates.push(path);
+  return candidates
+    .map((entry) => normalizeMediaUrlCandidate(entry))
+    .filter((entry): entry is string => Boolean(entry));
+}
+
+function extractReplyPayloadFromToolResult(result: unknown): ReplyPayload | null {
+  if (!result || typeof result !== "object") return null;
+
+  const maybePayload = result as ReplyPayload & { content?: unknown; details?: unknown };
+  if (
+    typeof maybePayload.text === "string" ||
+    typeof maybePayload.mediaUrl === "string" ||
+    Array.isArray(maybePayload.mediaUrls)
+  ) {
+    return {
+      text: maybePayload.text?.trim() ? maybePayload.text.trim() : undefined,
+      mediaUrl: maybePayload.mediaUrl,
+      mediaUrls: maybePayload.mediaUrls,
+      replyToId: maybePayload.replyToId,
+      replyToTag: maybePayload.replyToTag,
+      replyToCurrent: maybePayload.replyToCurrent,
+      audioAsVoice: maybePayload.audioAsVoice,
+      isError: maybePayload.isError,
+    };
+  }
+
+  const content = maybePayload.content;
+  const text = extractTextFromToolResultContent(content);
+  const parsed = text
+    ? parseReplyDirectives(text)
+    : {
+        text: "",
+        mediaUrls: undefined,
+        mediaUrl: undefined,
+        replyToId: undefined,
+        replyToCurrent: false,
+        replyToTag: false,
+        audioAsVoice: undefined,
+        isSilent: false,
+      };
+
+  if (parsed.isSilent) return null;
+
+  const mediaFromText = parsed.mediaUrls ?? (parsed.mediaUrl ? [parsed.mediaUrl] : []);
+  const mediaFromDetails = extractMediaUrlsFromDetails(maybePayload.details);
+  const mediaUrls = Array.from(new Set([...mediaFromText, ...mediaFromDetails]))
+    .map((entry) => normalizeMediaUrlCandidate(entry))
+    .filter((entry): entry is string => Boolean(entry));
+
+  const cleanedText = parsed.text?.trim() ? parsed.text.trim() : undefined;
+  if (!cleanedText && mediaUrls.length === 0) return null;
+
+  return {
+    text: cleanedText,
+    mediaUrls: mediaUrls.length ? mediaUrls : undefined,
+    mediaUrl: mediaUrls[0],
+    replyToId: parsed.replyToId,
+    replyToTag: parsed.replyToTag,
+    replyToCurrent: parsed.replyToCurrent,
+    audioAsVoice: parsed.audioAsVoice,
+    isError: (result as { isError?: unknown }).isError === true,
+  };
+}
+
+function resolveToolDispatchTools(params: {
+  cfg: ClawdbotConfig;
+  sessionKey: string;
+  provider: string;
+  model: string;
+  agentDir?: string;
+  agentChannel?: GatewayMessageChannel;
+  agentAccountId?: string;
+  workspaceDir: string;
+}): {
+  allTools: AnyAgentTool[];
+  allowedTools: AnyAgentTool[];
+  sandboxed: boolean;
+} {
+  const sandboxRuntime = resolveSandboxRuntimeStatus({
+    cfg: params.cfg,
+    sessionKey: params.sessionKey,
+  });
+  const {
+    profile,
+    providerProfile,
+    globalPolicy,
+    globalProviderPolicy,
+    agentPolicy,
+    agentProviderPolicy,
+  } = resolveEffectiveToolPolicy({
+    config: params.cfg,
+    sessionKey: params.sessionKey,
+    modelProvider: params.provider,
+    modelId: params.model,
+  });
+  const profilePolicy = resolveToolProfilePolicy(profile);
+  const providerProfilePolicy = resolveToolProfilePolicy(providerProfile);
+  const sandboxPolicy = sandboxRuntime.sandboxed ? sandboxRuntime.toolPolicy : undefined;
+  const subagentPolicy =
+    isSubagentSessionKey(params.sessionKey) && params.sessionKey
+      ? resolveSubagentToolPolicy(params.cfg)
+      : undefined;
+  const pluginToolAllowlist = collectExplicitAllowlist([
+    profilePolicy,
+    providerProfilePolicy,
+    globalPolicy,
+    globalProviderPolicy,
+    agentPolicy,
+    agentProviderPolicy,
+    sandboxPolicy,
+    subagentPolicy,
+  ]);
+
+  const allTools = createClawdbotTools({
+    agentSessionKey: params.sessionKey,
+    agentChannel: params.agentChannel,
+    agentAccountId: params.agentAccountId,
+    agentDir: params.agentDir,
+    workspaceDir: params.workspaceDir,
+    config: params.cfg,
+    sandboxed: sandboxRuntime.sandboxed,
+    pluginToolAllowlist,
+  }) as AnyAgentTool[];
+
+  const pluginGroups = buildPluginToolGroups({
+    tools: allTools,
+    toolMeta: (tool) => getPluginToolMeta(tool),
+  });
+  const profilePolicyExpanded = expandPolicyWithPluginGroups(profilePolicy, pluginGroups);
+  const providerProfilePolicyExpanded = expandPolicyWithPluginGroups(
+    providerProfilePolicy,
+    pluginGroups,
+  );
+  const globalPolicyExpanded = expandPolicyWithPluginGroups(globalPolicy, pluginGroups);
+  const globalProviderPolicyExpanded = expandPolicyWithPluginGroups(
+    globalProviderPolicy,
+    pluginGroups,
+  );
+  const agentPolicyExpanded = expandPolicyWithPluginGroups(agentPolicy, pluginGroups);
+  const agentProviderPolicyExpanded = expandPolicyWithPluginGroups(
+    agentProviderPolicy,
+    pluginGroups,
+  );
+  const sandboxPolicyExpanded = expandPolicyWithPluginGroups(sandboxPolicy, pluginGroups);
+  const subagentPolicyExpanded = expandPolicyWithPluginGroups(subagentPolicy, pluginGroups);
+
+  const toolsFiltered = profilePolicyExpanded
+    ? filterToolsByPolicy(allTools, profilePolicyExpanded)
+    : allTools;
+  const providerProfileFiltered = providerProfilePolicyExpanded
+    ? filterToolsByPolicy(toolsFiltered, providerProfilePolicyExpanded)
+    : toolsFiltered;
+  const globalFiltered = globalPolicyExpanded
+    ? filterToolsByPolicy(providerProfileFiltered, globalPolicyExpanded)
+    : providerProfileFiltered;
+  const globalProviderFiltered = globalProviderPolicyExpanded
+    ? filterToolsByPolicy(globalFiltered, globalProviderPolicyExpanded)
+    : globalFiltered;
+  const agentFiltered = agentPolicyExpanded
+    ? filterToolsByPolicy(globalProviderFiltered, agentPolicyExpanded)
+    : globalProviderFiltered;
+  const agentProviderFiltered = agentProviderPolicyExpanded
+    ? filterToolsByPolicy(agentFiltered, agentProviderPolicyExpanded)
+    : agentFiltered;
+  const sandboxed = sandboxPolicyExpanded
+    ? filterToolsByPolicy(agentProviderFiltered, sandboxPolicyExpanded)
+    : agentProviderFiltered;
+  const subagentFiltered = subagentPolicyExpanded
+    ? filterToolsByPolicy(sandboxed, subagentPolicyExpanded)
+    : sandboxed;
+
+  return {
+    allTools,
+    allowedTools: subagentFiltered,
+    sandboxed: sandboxRuntime.sandboxed,
+  };
 }
 
 export async function handleInlineActions(params: {
@@ -163,18 +393,34 @@ export async function handleInlineActions(params: {
         resolveGatewayMessageChannel(ctx.Surface) ??
         resolveGatewayMessageChannel(ctx.Provider) ??
         undefined;
-
+      const { allTools, allowedTools } = resolveToolDispatchTools({
-      const tools = createClawdbotTools({
+        cfg,
-        agentSessionKey: sessionKey,
+        sessionKey,
+        provider,
+        model,
+        agentDir,
         agentChannel: channel,
         agentAccountId: (ctx as { AccountId?: string }).AccountId,
-        agentDir,
         workspaceDir,
-        config: cfg,
       });
-
+      const requestedName = normalizeToolName(dispatch.toolName);
-      const tool = tools.find((candidate) => candidate.name === dispatch.toolName);
+      const findTool = (tools: AnyAgentTool[]) =>
+        tools.find((candidate) => normalizeToolName(candidate.name) === requestedName);
+      const tool = findTool(allowedTools);
       if (!tool) {
+        const allTool = findTool(allTools);
+        if (allTool) {
+          const sandboxReason = formatSandboxToolPolicyBlockedMessage({
+            cfg,
+            sessionKey,
+            toolName: requestedName,
+          });
+          const message = sandboxReason
+            ? `❌ Tool blocked by policy: ${dispatch.toolName}\n${sandboxReason}`
+            : `❌ Tool blocked by policy: ${dispatch.toolName}`;
+          typing.cleanup();
+          return { kind: "reply", reply: { text: message, isError: true } };
+        }
         typing.cleanup();
         return { kind: "reply", reply: { text: `❌ Tool not available: ${dispatch.toolName}` } };
       }
@@ -186,13 +432,13 @@ export async function handleInlineActions(params: {
           commandName: skillInvocation.command.name,
           skillName: skillInvocation.command.skillName,
         } as any);
-        const text = extractTextFromToolResult(result) ?? "✅ Done.";
+        const reply = extractReplyPayloadFromToolResult(result) ?? { text: "✅ Done." };
         typing.cleanup();
-        return { kind: "reply", reply: { text } };
+        return { kind: "reply", reply };
       } catch (err) {
         const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
         typing.cleanup();
-        return { kind: "reply", reply: { text: `❌ ${message}` } };
+        return { kind: "reply", reply: { text: `❌ ${message}`, isError: true } };
       }
     }