spec(runner): sync spec with code drift, add OpenShell desired state

[markturansky]

Summary

• Syncs runner spec with actual code: adds missing files (model.py, observability_config.py, observability_privacy.py, mlflow_observability.py, fixtures/), removes duplicate workspace.py entry
• Documents undocumented features: AGUI_TOKEN session auth middleware, SDK_OPTIONS env var, POST /model endpoint
• Adds "Desired State: OpenShell Credential Isolation" section describing how OpenShell's sandbox layers (netns, Landlock, seccomp-BPF, OPA) extend the existing sidecar credential model to prevent agent escape via Bash/network access

Test plan

• Verified spec source layout matches actual filesystem
• Confirmed OpenShell desired state is consistent with existing sidecar credential model on main
• Review OpenShell desired state section for architectural accuracy

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[markturansky]

amber review — Round 1

Three findings from cross-checking the spec changes against the current codebase on main.

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Required — Must Fix

Broken companion doc references in OpenShell section

The OpenShell Desired State section references two documents that do not exist anywhere in the repo:

See: docs/internal/agents/openshell-security-analysis.md
See: docs/internal/agents/openshell-runner-adaptation.md

Checked docs/internal/agents/ on main and on this branch — only README.md and an active/ subdirectory are present. Neither file exists.

Fix: remove the See: links, or replace them with a forward reference (TBD / planned) until the docs are created.

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Notable Gap

operational_events.py missing from spec layout

This PR's stated goal is to sync the spec with code drift. operational_events.py was introduced in PR #1633 at bridges/claude/operational_events.py and is present in the repo, but it is absent from the File Layout table in this spec update.

The bridges/claude/ section now lists fixtures/ and other additions — operational_events.py should be included for completeness.

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Architectural Note (non-blocking)

_grpc_client.py in OpenShell "Files to Modify" may be a no-op

The OpenShell desired-state section lists _grpc_client.py as a file to modify for the sandbox adaptation. gRPC communication already happens in the runner process (outside the Claude subprocess boundary), so sandboxing the Claude subprocess with Landlock/seccomp-BPF should not require changes to the gRPC client. Worth confirming whether this file actually needs modification before implementation begins, to avoid scope creep in the adaptation work.

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Blocking on the companion doc fix before approve.

[markturansky]

amber review — Round 2

All three Round 1 findings addressed. Codebase verification passed: populate_runtime_credentials() in platform/auth.py ✅, secret_redaction.py ✅, _grpc_client.py ✅, operational_events.py ✅, SessionWorker in bridges/claude/session.py ✅.

One notable gap in the companion doc to fix before implementation starts — the spec and companion doc disagree on what gets sandboxed.

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Notable Gap — Sandboxing scope inconsistent between spec and companion doc

runner.spec.md (the spec) says the Claude subprocess is sandboxed:

Desired:  Runner container → OpenShell Supervisor → Claude subprocess (sandboxed netns)

Files to Modify: bridges/claude/bridge.py — "Launch Claude CLI via OpenShell Supervisor instead of direct subprocess." gRPC: "Verify no changes needed — gRPC runs in runner process outside sandbox boundary."

openshell-runner-adaptation.md (companion doc) describes wrapping the entire uvicorn process:

CMD ["openshell-sandbox", "--provider", "ambient", "--", \
     "/bin/bash", "-c", "umask 0022 && cd /app/ambient-runner && uvicorn main:app ..."]

The Supervisor wraps the uvicorn process, applying Landlock + seccomp + netns before exec.

In this model, the runner itself is inside the sandbox, and the companion doc's Files to Modify table accordingly lists _grpc_client.py — "Proxy-aware channel construction for intra-cluster gRPC."

These are different architectures. If an implementer follows the companion doc's Dockerfile, they'll sandbox the runner (not just Claude subprocess), and gRPC will need proxy-awareness — directly contradicting the spec. If they follow the spec, the Claude subprocess is sandboxed via bridge.py, and gRPC stays outside the sandbox.

Fix: align the companion doc to match the spec's model. Update the Dockerfile section to show openshell-sandbox wrapping the Claude CLI invocation (from bridge.py), not the uvicorn entrypoint. Update _grpc_client.py entry in companion doc's Files to Modify to "No changes needed — gRPC runs in runner process, outside Claude subprocess sandbox boundary."

---

Spec itself is correct and internally consistent — approving the spec. Companion doc should be fixed before this moves out of draft.

Round 2: LGTM on the spec. Companion doc fix is pre-implementation, not pre-merge.

[markturansky]

amber review — Round 3 LGTM

Round 2 finding addressed. The companion doc (openshell-runner-adaptation.md) now correctly describes sandboxing only the Claude subprocess:

• Dockerfile keeps uvicorn entrypoint unchanged; openshell-sandbox is invoked by bridge.py when launching the Claude CLI, not wrapped around the runner itself
• Explicit prose added: "The runner itself (FastAPI/uvicorn, gRPC client, credential fetching) runs outside the sandbox boundary"
• _grpc_client.py row in Files to Modify updated to "No changes needed — gRPC runs in runner process, outside Claude subprocess sandbox boundary"
• Step 5 is now a standalone "No changes needed" section with a clear rationale

Spec and companion docs are now consistent. No further findings.

Approved. Ready to undraft when the author is satisfied with the OpenShell desired-state section.

[jsell-rh]

Nice analysis — the security model breakdown and strategy comparison are thorough. A few things we learned integrating OpenShell in the ADP project that are worth flagging:

1. inference.local doesn't work outside OpenShell-managed sandboxes. The placeholder/proxy pattern (openshell:resolve:env:*) relies on the Supervisor owning the network namespace — it creates a veth pair, routes all traffic through 10.200.0.1:3128, and rewrites placeholders at the HTTP layer. If the runner pod keeps its default network namespace (no unshare(CLONE_NEWNET)), the proxy won't intercept requests and placeholders will be sent as-is to upstream APIs. Strategy 1's implementation steps should account for the Supervisor needing NET_ADMIN capability to set up the netns before the agent process starts.

2. OpenShell's provider management API is gRPC-only, not REST. The Operator integration (Step 7) will need a gRPC client to call CreateProvider, SetClusterInference, etc. on the Gateway. There are no REST equivalents — the Gateway multiplexes gRPC and HTTP on port 8080, but provider/inference management is exclusively via the openshell.v1.OpenShell gRPC service. The proto definitions are at proto/openshell.proto and proto/inference.proto in the upstream repo.

4. The Supervisor needs to control process lifecycle, not just run as a sidecar. The Supervisor expects to be the process that fork/execs the agent — it applies Landlock, seccomp, and privilege drop in the pre_exec closure (after fork, before exec). Running it as a separate sidecar container in the same pod doesn't give it control over the agent's process setup. For standard K8s pods, the Supervisor binary needs to be the entrypoint that wraps the Claude CLI invocation (as the PR's Step 3 suggests with the Dockerfile change), not a parallel container. The bridge.py modification (Step 6) is the right place to invoke it.

5. The gh wrapper and git credential helper pattern works at the HTTP layer only. The proxy can rewrite Authorization: Bearer openshell:resolve:env:GITHUB_TOKEN in HTTP requests, but it can't intercept credential usage in non-HTTP contexts. The git credential helper works because git ultimately makes HTTPS requests that pass through the proxy. But if any tool reads the placeholder token and uses it for SSH auth or embeds it in a non-HTTP protocol, the placeholder string will be sent verbatim. Worth documenting this limitation — the current install_gh_wrapper() and install_git_credential_helper() patterns should work fine since they're HTTP-based, but future credential types (SSH keys, kubeconfig client certs) would need a different approach.

[markturansky]

Amber Review — PR #1643: runner spec sync + OpenShell desired state

Verified spec claims against actual code in components/backend/runner/. 7 of 9 sync claims check out; 2 are factually wrong and need correction before merge. The OpenShell analysis docs are high quality with one naming inconsistency to fix.

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Issues requiring fixes before merge

F1 — workspace.py still exists and must stay in the spec layout

The spec removes workspace.py from the file layout with the note "duplicate entry." It is not a duplicate — it is a real, active module at components/backend/runner/workspace.py. It exports setup_workflow_paths() and resolve_workspace_paths() which are used by the runner. Removing it makes the spec inaccurate. Either:

• Keep the entry in the layout (correct fix), or
• Explain why it will be removed and mark it 🔲 planned if removal is genuinely intended

F2 — Wrong path for the model endpoint

The spec adds routers/model.py to the file layout. That path does not exist. The actual file is at components/backend/runner/endpoints/model.py. Please correct the path.

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Non-blocking

N1 — "Sidecar" misnomer in strategy comparison table (openshell-runner-adaptation.md)

The comparison table labels Strategy 1 as "Sidecar", but the document body explicitly states the Supervisor is not a sidecar container. The correct label is "Supervisor" (or "Supervisor Process"). The mismatch will confuse readers who skim the table first.

N2 — Isolation layer 2 label in runner.spec.md is imprecise

The OpenShell section lists layer 2 as "Credential proxy". The body and the security analysis describe this layer as process isolation / pre-exec credential stripping — not a proxy. The credential proxy (placeholder rewriting) is a separate mechanism. Consider labeling it "Process isolation (pre-exec credential strip)" to match the five-layer model in the security analysis.

---

What's verified ✅

Claim	Status
observability_config.py exists	✅
observability_privacy.py exists	✅
mlflow_observability.py exists	✅
operational_events.py exists	✅
fixtures/ directory exists (4 JSONL files)	✅
AGUI_TOKEN uses secrets.compare_digest()	✅ (app.py:257–275)
SDK_OPTIONS env var referenced in bridge.py	✅
Living-doc > **Status:** Proposed on OpenShell section	✅ correct convention
populate_runtime_credentials() writes real tokens to os.environ	✅ (auth.py:556–593)

The OpenShell security analysis is thorough and architecturally sound. The five isolation layers are accurately described, the AGUI_TOKEN middleware implementation matches the spec, and the BPF/Landlock threat model is well-reasoned.

---

Fix F1 and F2 before merging; N1 and N2 are recommended but non-blocking.

— Amber

[markturansky]

Amber Re-Review — PR #1643

Both required fixes are confirmed:

• F1 resolved ✅ — workspace.py is back in the spec layout under platform/ with the correct annotation
• F2 resolved ✅ — model endpoint correctly listed as endpoints/model.py, not routers/model.py

The two non-blocking items (N1: "Sidecar" label in the strategy comparison table; N2: "Credential proxy" label for isolation layer 2) are unchanged. These were flagged as nice-to-have and do not block merge.

Approved. Ready to merge.

— Amber

[markturansky]

OpenShell Sandbox Validation Report

Summary

The OpenShell sandbox integration has been validated end-to-end on ROSA OpenShift (vteam-uat cluster) with runner image quay.io/ambient_code/vteam_claude_runner:openshell-v5. All sessions complete successfully through the sandbox's captive portal proxy.

Root Cause Fixed

The SYN-SENT networking issue that blocked sandbox connectivity across sessions 6-12 has been resolved. Root cause: when a runner pod is terminated, the OpenShell supervisor's Drop cleanup for NetworkNamespace doesn't fire, leaving stale /var/run/netns/sandbox-* files and veth interfaces. On the next session, the supervisor creates a new sandbox namespace, but the old veth's 10.200.0.0/24 route persists, creating duplicate routes that prevent the proxy from receiving connections.

Fix (openshell-claude-wrapper.sh):

• Cleans stale sandbox-* netns and their veth interfaces before launching the supervisor
• Remounts /proc/sys rw and disables rp_filter on default/all so ARP resolves on dynamically-created veth interfaces

Test Sessions

< /dev/null | Session | Type | Result |
|---------|------|--------|
| 3Eh11nFWuYEDHqEYmvzhDVVOQUV | Simple (file create/read) | ✅ Success |
| 3Eh1db8pBEn1jU08vw4TDQFOEee | Complex (write Python script, execute, create summary — multi-tool-use) | ✅ Success |
| 3Eh7TDfRJAOSBXI9gLn0UOLcKlq | User-initiated (4 tool_use round-trips, 1274-byte response) | ✅ Success |

Verification Evidence

Sandbox state (inside pod):

• Single sandbox namespace: sandbox-8f1e7b4a (no duplicates)
• Single route: 10.200.0.0/24 dev veth-h-8f1e7b4a
• rp_filter=0 on all, default, and veth interface

Proxy connectivity:

• OCSF HTTP:POST [INFO] ALLOWED POST http://us-east5-aiplatform.googleapis.com:443/v1/projects/ambient-code-platform/locations/us-east5/publishers/anthropic/models/claude-sonnet-4-6@default:streamRawPredict
• relay_response framing / relay_chunked complete — proxy relaying responses

Session lifecycle:

• ResultMessage (subtype=success) — tasks completed
• Turn complete — clean shutdown
• Cleared credentials — proper cleanup
• Multiple tool_use/tool_result pairs — Bash tool execution works inside sandbox

What Changed

File	Change
openshell-claude-wrapper.sh	Stale sandbox netns cleanup + rp_filter disable before supervisor launch
kube_reconciler.go	Pass OPENSHELL_LOG_LEVEL env var to runner pods
.openshell-ref/policy.yaml	Allow bundled Claude CLI path and node-22 binary

How to Reproduce

# Set up
export API_HOST=$(oc get route ambient-api-server -n ambient-openshell -o jsonpath='{.spec.host}')
export API_TOKEN=$(oc get secret ambient-control-plane-token -n ambient-openshell -o jsonpath='{.data.token}' | base64 -d)

# Create session
curl -sk -X POST "https://${API_HOST}/api/ambient/v1/sessions" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${API_TOKEN}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"test","prompt":"Create /tmp/hello.txt with hello world, then read it back.","project_id":"openshell-test"}'

# Watch pod
oc get pods -n openshell-test -w

# Check logs — look for ALLOWED, ResultMessage (subtype=success), Turn complete
oc logs <pod-name> -n openshell-test

[github-actions]

⚠️ SDD Preflight — Managed Paths Modified

This PR modifies files in SDD-managed component(s). These components are migrating to Spec-Driven Development.

File	Component	Mode
components/runners/ambient-runner/Dockerfile	runner	warn
components/runners/ambient-runner/openshell-claude-wrapper.sh	runner	warn

No action required — these components are in warn mode. Consider using the component's agent workflow for future changes.

📖 Specs: Runner Spec · Runner Constitution