Problem

The image tool only allows reads from a fixed set of directories (~/.openclaw/workspace/, sandbox paths). There is no way to configure additional allowed roots.

This is a problem for iMessage users with includeAttachments: true. Attachment paths arrive as something like:

/Users/<user>/Library/Messages/Attachments/xx/xx/<uuid>/image.png

...which is outside the allowed roots. The image tool rejects it with:

Local media path is not under an allowed directory: /Users/.../Messages/Attachments/...

Workaround

Manually cp the attachment into the workspace before calling the image tool. This works but requires an explicit copy step on every inbound image — easy to forget and creates friction.

Request

Add a tools.image.mediaLocalRoots (or similar) config field to openclaw.json that allows extending the allowed directory list:

{
  tools: {
    image: {
      mediaLocalRoots: [
        "/Users/openclaw/Library/Messages/Attachments"
      ]
    }
  }
}

This would let attachment-heavy workflows (iMessage, etc.) work without a copy step.

Context

• Channel: iMessage (imsg CLI integration)
• Config: includeAttachments: true
• Version: 2026.3.x