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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug] User 'deny' on exec approval is misinterpreted as 'try alternative approach' instead of 'stop', creating persistent cross-task behavioral drift

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Severity: High
Reproducibility: Consistent
Session: 2026-04-21, 08:39-09:34 GMT+8, webchat channel

Error Message

  1. User approves an exec command, but it fails (e.g., PowerShell syntax error)
  • User denies a PowerShell command during skill installation because it has a syntax error
  1. The reason for denial should not be generalized — a syntax error is specific to that command

Root Cause

Example:

  • User denies a PowerShell command during skill installation because it has a syntax error
  • The agent records this as: "PowerShell doesn't work for this type of task"
  • Future, completely unrelated tasks that involve PowerShell are approached with alternatives
  • The original, simplest approach is permanently skipped
  • This degrades the agent's effectiveness across the entire session and potentially future sessions
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Description

Severity: High
Reproducibility: Consistent
Session: 2026-04-21, 08:39-09:34 GMT+8, webchat channel

Problem Statement

When a user sends /approve <id> deny to stop a command execution, the agent interprets the denial as "this approach failed, try an alternative method" instead of "stop, do not attempt alternatives". This creates two compounding problems:

  1. Immediate dead loop: The agent enters a cycle of trying alternative approaches for the same goal, burning through multiple approval cycles
  2. Persistent behavioral drift: The denial creates a memory pattern where future, unrelated tasks skip the denied approach, even when it was the simplest and most correct method

What Happens

  1. User approves an exec command, but it fails (e.g., PowerShell syntax error)
  2. Agent tries the same command again or with slight modifications
  3. User sends /approve <id> deny to stop the execution entirely
  4. Instead of stopping, the agent interprets deny as: "this approach doesn't work, let me try a different method"
  5. The agent tries alternative methods, each also requiring approval, creating a new cycle
  6. The session enters a dead loop: try → fail → approve → deny → try alternative → fail → approve → deny...

Persistent Memory Problem

Worse than the immediate loop: the denial creates a persistent behavioral pattern.

Example:

  • User denies a PowerShell command during skill installation because it has a syntax error
  • The agent records this as: "PowerShell doesn't work for this type of task"
  • Future, completely unrelated tasks that involve PowerShell are approached with alternatives
  • The original, simplest approach is permanently skipped
  • This degrades the agent's effectiveness across the entire session and potentially future sessions

Impact

  1. Immediate: Dead loop of try → deny → try alternative, wasting time and API calls
  2. Long-term: Agent behavior degrades over time as denied approaches accumulate
  3. User trust: User loses confidence in the deny control — it doesn't do what it says
  4. Task quality: Suboptimal approaches are used because the simplest method was denied once

Expected Behavior

  1. deny should mean "stop this execution, do not attempt any alternatives"
  2. The agent should acknowledge the denial and wait for the user's next instruction
  3. If the user wants the agent to try an alternative, they should explicitly say so
  4. Denial events should NOT create persistent cross-task behavioral patterns
  5. The reason for denial should not be generalized — a syntax error is specific to that command

Environment

  • OS: Windows_NT 10.0.26200 (x64)
  • Model: alibailian/qwen3.6-plus
  • Channel: webchat
  • Shell: PowerShell
  • Security mode: ask=on-miss

Suggested Fixes

  1. Deny semantics: /approve <id> deny = stop execution, no alternatives attempted
  2. No cross-task memory: Denial events should be scoped to the current task only
  3. No generalization: A denied approach should not be marked as "this tool doesn't work"
  4. Alternative on explicit request: Only try alternatives when the user explicitly says so
  5. Clear acknowledgment: After deny, reply: "Execution stopped. Waiting for your next instruction."

extent analysis

TL;DR

The most likely fix involves updating the semantics of the /approve <id> deny command to stop execution without attempting alternatives and ensuring denial events do not create persistent cross-task behavioral patterns.

Guidance

  • Review the current implementation of the /approve <id> deny command to understand why it's interpreting "deny" as a signal to try alternative methods instead of stopping execution.
  • Modify the agent's logic to scope denial events to the current task only, preventing the creation of persistent behavioral patterns across tasks.
  • Implement a mechanism for the agent to acknowledge a denial with a clear message, such as "Execution stopped. Waiting for your next instruction," and wait for the user's next instruction before proceeding.
  • Consider adding an explicit command or option for users to request the agent to try alternative methods after a denial, ensuring that alternatives are only attempted when explicitly requested.

Example

def handle_approve_deny(id, action):
    if action == 'deny':
        # Stop execution and do not attempt alternatives
        stop_execution(id)
        # Acknowledge denial and wait for next instruction
        respond("Execution stopped. Waiting for your next instruction.")
    else:
        # Handle other approval actions as before
        pass

Notes

The provided solution assumes that the issue lies within the logic of handling the /approve <id> deny command and the agent's behavior following a denial. The actual implementation details may vary based on the underlying architecture and codebase of the agent.

Recommendation

Apply the workaround by updating the /approve <id> deny command semantics and ensuring scoped denial events to prevent persistent behavioral patterns, as this directly addresses the root cause of the issue and aligns with the expected behavior described.

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