openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Proposal] Prevent order-sensitive tool failures with a pre-execution logic fuse [1 participants]

Summary

Problem

Some agent failures are not permission failures — they are execution-order failures.

Example:

• rm -rf /data
• backup /data/logs

Both actions may be individually allowed.
But if they run in the wrong order, the backup fails and state is lost.

This is a gap that RBAC, locks, and static permission checks do not fully cover: the issue is not who may act, but whether the action sequence is logically safe.

Proposal

Add a pre-execution arbitration layer for order-sensitive tool actions.

Core idea:

$R_{logic} = | \Phi(s, A, B) - \Phi(s, B, A) |$

Where:

• s = current context
• A, B = candidate actions
• Φ = a lightweight local predictor of end-state effects

If the predicted end states of A -> B and B -> A diverge enough, the system should return:

• WARN
• BLOCK
• mitigation advice
• optional human review before irreversible execution

Why this is useful

This would add a deterministic safety layer for cases like:

• parent delete vs child backup
• force push vs local commit
• rename vs sync
• destructive action bundles with hidden order asymmetry

In other words, not just:

“Do you have permission?”

but also:

“Is this execution order logically safe?”

Prototype

I have already prototyped this as:

• SARA = Safe Action Residual Arbiter
• powered by SIPA Core = Sequential Intent & Planning Auditor

Properties:

• deterministic
• local
• stdlib-only
• no external LLM call required for the audit itself

Example output from a Git history protection demo:

[Audit Result]
severity              : WARN
logical_residual      : 0.4358
intent_collision_rate : 0.7900
reasons               :
  - shared resource target
  - destructive order asymmetry
  - predicted end-state divergence
[SIPA] WARN
Order-sensitive repo conflict detected. Human review recommended.

What I’m asking for

I’d love feedback on the best integration surface for something like this:

• pre-execution hooks
• tool-call gating
• middleware between planning and irreversible execution
• plugin/adaptor-based integration

Prototype & Demos: https://github.com/ZC502/SARA.git

If useful, I’m happy to share the minimal prototype structure and deeper technical details on the SIPA Core.

Problem to solve

Current tool-calling mechanisms lack sequence-awareness. While RBAC handles "who" can act, it cannot detect when an individually valid but sequentially destructive pair of actions (e.g., delete before backup) leads to irreversible state loss. This "logic gap" results in agent-driven disasters that static permissions cannot prevent.

(See full proposal above for technical details and demos)

Proposed solution

Introduce a pre-execution arbitration layer (like SARA/SIPA Core) that intercepts tool-call sequences and computes a Logical Residual. By simulating alternative execution orders ($A \to B$ vs $B \to A$), the system can trigger a deterministic "logic fuse" (WARN/BLOCK) before irreversible execution occurs.

(See full proposal above for technical details and demos)

Alternatives considered

No response

Impact

• Affected users/systems: Primary: Developers and Ops engineers managing high-authority Agents. Secondary: End-users who suffer from service downtime or data loss caused by Agent logic failures.
• Severity: Critical. Prevents "Agent Implosion" where a sequence of valid but mismatched tool calls destroys system state.
• Frequency: High in complex, multi-step workflows (e.g., CI/CD automation, cloud resource management).
• Consequences: Prevents catastrophic data loss, eliminates expensive manual state recovery, and protects the system integrity for all downstream users.

(See full proposal above for technical details and demos)

Evidence/examples

No response

Additional information

No response