Issue: read and write tools not executing in v2026.3.7

Summary

In OpenClaw 2026.3.7, the read and write tools do not actually execute - they only display the tool invocation code without returning results or modifying files. However, the exec tool works correctly.

Environment

• OpenClaw Version: 2026.3.7 (42a1394)
• OS: WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
• Node.js: v22.22.1
• Installation Method: npm install -g [email protected]
• Channel: Telegram
• Model Provider: kimi-coding/k2p5

Configuration

Current tools config:

{
  "tools": {
    "profile": "full",
    "allow": ["exec", "read", "write", "bash", "shell", "apply_patch", "web_search"]
  }
}

Exec approvals configured:

{
  "allowlist": [
    {
      "agent": "*",
      "pattern": "*"
    }
  ]
}

Steps to Reproduce

Case 1: read tool not working

1. Send message in Telegram: read /home/asus/.openclaw/workspace/SOUL.md
2. Expected: Returns file content
3. Actual: Only returns read({"path": "/home/asus/.openclaw/workspace/SOUL.md"})

Screenshot: The bot only shows the tool invocation code without the actual file content.

Case 2: write tool not working

1. Send message: modify SOUL.md and add a line "test content"
2. Expected: File is modified with new content
3. Actual: No response, file unchanged (verified by direct file read)

Case 3: exec tool working (for comparison)

1. Send message: execute pwd
2. Expected: Returns current directory
3. Actual: ✅ Returns /home/asus/.openclaw/workspace (works correctly!)

Detailed Behavior

read tool

• Input: Natural language request to read a file
• Model Response: Shows read({"path": "/path/to/file"}) or <invoke name="read"><parameter name="path">...</parameter></invoke>
• Result: ❌ No file content returned, no error message

write tool

• Input: Natural language request to write/modify a file
• Model Response: May show write({...}) invocation or no response
• Result: ❌ File not modified, no error message

exec tool

• Input: execute cat /path/to/file
• Model Response: Shows <invoke name="exec"><parameter name="command">...</parameter></invoke>
• Result: ✅ Returns actual command output

Workaround

Currently using exec tool as a workaround:

execute cat /home/asus/.openclaw/workspace/SOUL.md  # Works
execute echo "content" >> /path/to/file            # Works

Possible Causes

1. read/write tools may require different parameter names (e.g., "file" vs "path")
2. Missing tool-specific configuration in 2026.3.7
3. Tools may be in "dry-run" mode in this version
4. Missing plugin or skill file that defines read/write behavior

Logs

No error logs found in /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-*.log related to tool execution failures. The logs show:

{"subsystem":"tools","1":"tools.allow allowlist contains unknown entries (shell, apply_patch)..."}

But this is just a warning, not an error.

Additional Notes

• The model correctly identifies that it should use the read tool
• The tool invocation is generated correctly (proper JSON/XML format)
• However, the tool is never actually executed - it just displays the invocation code
• This suggests the issue is in the tool execution layer, not the model/tool selection layer

Request

Please investigate why read and write tools don't execute while exec works correctly. If this is a configuration issue, please document the correct setup. If it's a bug, please fix in the next release.

Labels: bug, tools, v2026.3.7
Priority: Medium (has workaround via exec)