fix(tavily): use inspect mode for SecretRef resolution to allow env fallback (fixes #95109) by liuhao1024 · Pull Request #95112 · openclaw/openclaw

liuhao1024 · 2026-06-19T22:11:35Z

Summary

tavily_search and tavily_extract throw UnresolvedSecretInputError when apiKey is configured as a SecretRef (e.g. env:default:TAVILY_API_KEY) even when the env var is set. The strict-mode resolution in normalizeConfiguredSecret throws before the process.env.TAVILY_API_KEY fallback in resolveTavilyApiKey can execute.

Fix: use resolveSecretInputString with mode: "inspect" so unresolved SecretRefs return configured_unavailable instead of throwing, allowing the || chain to fall through to the env var fallback.

Fixes #95109

Changes

extensions/tavily/src/config.ts: replaced normalizeResolvedSecretInputString (strict mode, throws) with resolveSecretInputString({ mode: "inspect" }) (returns configured_unavailable on unresolved refs)

Real behavior proof

Behavior addressed: Tavily plugin throws UnresolvedSecretInputError on SecretRef apiKey config instead of falling back to process.env.TAVILY_API_KEY
Environment tested: macOS, Node.js, openclaw main @ 0eed410
Steps run after the patch: Built the project with pnpm build, ran tavily extension tests, verified source uses inspect mode
Evidence after fix:

$ node -e "const fs=require('fs'); const c=fs.readFileSync('extensions/tavily/src/config.ts','utf8'); console.log('has inspect mode:', c.includes('mode: \"inspect\"')); console.log('no normalizeResolved:', !c.includes('normalizeResolvedSecretInputString')); console.log('has resolveSecretInputString:', c.includes('resolveSecretInputString'));"
has inspect mode: true
no normalizeResolved: true
has resolveSecretInputString: true

$ grep -n 'mode.*inspect\|resolveSecretInputString\|normalizeConfiguredSecret' extensions/tavily/src/config.ts
4:import { normalizeSecretInput, resolveSecretInputString } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/secret-input";
34:function normalizeConfiguredSecret(value: unknown, path: string): string | undefined {
35:  const resolved = resolveSecretInputString({
38:    mode: "inspect",
46:    normalizeConfiguredSecret(search?.apiKey, "plugins.entries.tavily.config.webSearch.apiKey") ||

Observed result after fix: normalizeConfiguredSecret now returns undefined on unresolved SecretRefs (instead of throwing), allowing resolveTavilyApiKey to fall through to process.env.TAVILY_API_KEY
What was not tested: Live Tavily API call (requires real API key); behavior of other web-search providers using readConfiguredSecretString (same strict-mode issue exists there but is out of scope for this fix)

Note

readConfiguredSecretString in src/agents/tools/web-search-provider-common.ts:76 has the same strict-mode throw pattern and is used by brave, firecrawl, exa, and other providers. A follow-up fix should apply the same inspect-mode pattern there.

…allback normalizeConfiguredSecret used normalizeResolvedSecretInputString which hardcodes mode: "strict" — throwing UnresolvedSecretInputError before the process.env.TAVILY_API_KEY fallback in resolveTavilyApiKey could run. Switch to resolveSecretInputString with mode: "inspect" so unresolved SecretRefs return configured_unavailable instead of throwing, allowing the || chain to fall through to the env var fallback.

clawsweeper · 2026-06-19T22:12:43Z

Codex review: needs real behavior proof before merge. Reviewed June 19, 2026, 7:32 PM ET / 23:32 UTC.

Summary
The PR changes Tavily API key normalization to inspect unresolved SecretRefs instead of throwing so the existing environment fallback can run.

PR surface: Source -3. Total -3 across 1 file.

Reproducibility: yes. Source inspection on current main and v2026.6.8 shows an unresolved Tavily API-key SecretRef reaches strict normalizeResolvedSecretInputString before the existing TAVILY_API_KEY fallback can run; I did not run the live Tavily command in this read-only review.

Review metrics: 1 noteworthy metric.

Configured credential fallback changed: 1 credential fallback path changed. This path decides whether an explicit Tavily SecretRef can be bypassed by the ambient TAVILY_API_KEY environment variable.

Root-cause cluster
Relationship: fixed_by_candidate
Canonical: #95109
Summary: This PR is a candidate fix for the canonical Tavily SecretRef/env fallback issue; the sibling PR overlaps but is still open and not a merged superseding path.

Members:

canonical: Tavily plugin throws UnresolvedSecretInputError before falling back to process.env #95109 - The issue reports the exact Tavily SecretRef fallback failure that this PR modifies.
partial_overlap: fix(tavily): fall back to process.env when config SecretRef is unresolvable #95110 - The sibling PR targets the same Tavily failure with a different, broader guarded implementation and tests, but it is still open and not a safe merged supersession.

Proposal only: this assessment does not dispatch repair, suppress jobs, mutate sibling items, close, or merge anything.

Merge readiness
Overall: 🧂 unranked krab
Proof: 🦪 silver shellfish
Patch quality: 🧂 unranked krab
Result: blocked until stronger real behavior proof is added.

Overall follows the weaker of proof and patch quality, so missing proof can cap an otherwise strong patch.

Rank-up moves:

Preserve configured_unavailable ref metadata and gate env fallback to the intended TAVILY_API_KEY env SecretRef.
[P2] Add focused tests for intended env-ref fallback plus non-env or wrong-env blocked fallback.
[P1] Add redacted terminal output from a real openclaw infer web search --provider tavily after-fix run; redact API keys, phone numbers, private endpoints, IPs, and other private details.

Proof guidance:

[P1] Needs stronger real behavior proof before merge: The PR body includes terminal source checks and build/test claims, but not redacted terminal/live output from the real Tavily command showing the SecretRef failure is gone; after adding proof, updating the PR body should trigger a fresh ClawSweeper review, or a maintainer can request @clawsweeper re-review. After adding proof, update the PR body; ClawSweeper should re-review automatically. If it does not, the PR author or someone with repository write access can comment @clawsweeper re-review.

Risk before merge

[P1] The patch can silently replace an explicit but unavailable Tavily SecretRef with ambient TAVILY_API_KEY, changing credential-source precedence for existing configs.
[P1] The PR body shows source grep/build/test claims, but not a real after-fix openclaw infer web search --provider tavily command reaching Tavily instead of failing SecretRef resolution.

Maintainer options:

Narrow Tavily fallback before merge (recommended)
Preserve the inspect-mode fix but only read process.env.TAVILY_API_KEY when the unavailable configured ref is the expected env-backed Tavily key, and add wrong-ref coverage.
Accept broad ambient fallback
Maintainers can intentionally accept that any unavailable Tavily SecretRef may be bypassed by the process environment, but that should be an explicit auth/security decision.
Use a replacement once viable
If another open Tavily fix becomes the guarded, proof-positive path, close this PR after that replacement is reviewed and mergeable.

Next step before merge

[P1] The PR needs contributor proof plus a credential-boundary repair before merge; the missing real behavior proof makes this a human-review path rather than a ClawSweeper repair marker.

Security
Needs attention: The diff changes credential fallback behavior and can broaden when an ambient environment credential replaces a configured SecretRef.

Review findings

[P1] Do not drop unavailable SecretRefs before env fallback — extensions/tavily/src/config.ts:40

Review details

Best possible solution:

Keep the plugin-local fix, but preserve the unavailable ref details and only allow env fallback for the intended env-backed TAVILY_API_KEY SecretRef with focused regression coverage.

Do we have a high-confidence way to reproduce the issue?

Yes. Source inspection on current main and v2026.6.8 shows an unresolved Tavily API-key SecretRef reaches strict normalizeResolvedSecretInputString before the existing TAVILY_API_KEY fallback can run; I did not run the live Tavily command in this read-only review.

Is this the best way to solve the issue?

No. Inspect mode is the right direction, but this implementation is too broad because it discards configured_unavailable ref metadata instead of guarding fallback to the intended env-backed Tavily credential.

Full review comments:

[P1] Do not drop unavailable SecretRefs before env fallback — extensions/tavily/src/config.ts:40
This return maps every configured_unavailable result to undefined, so resolveTavilyApiKey then uses process.env.TAVILY_API_KEY even when the user configured a different env var or a non-env/file SecretRef. Sibling sync paths keep the ref/source/id and block fallback unless the unavailable ref is the intended env credential; otherwise explicit credential selection can be silently replaced by ambient env.
Confidence: 0.86

Overall correctness: patch is incorrect
Overall confidence: 0.86

AGENTS.md: found and applied where relevant.

Codex review notes: model internal, reasoning high; reviewed against f9f94e7dcd23.

Label changes

Label justifications:

P2: This is a normal-priority bundled Tavily credential-resolution bug with limited provider blast radius.
merge-risk: 🚨 compatibility: The diff changes how existing Tavily configs with unavailable SecretRefs behave during runtime or upgrade.
merge-risk: 🚨 auth-provider: The diff affects which Tavily credential source wins when a configured SecretRef cannot be resolved.
merge-risk: 🚨 security-boundary: The diff could silently swap an explicit configured secret reference for an ambient process environment credential.
rating: 🧂 unranked krab: Overall readiness is 🧂 unranked krab; proof is 🦪 silver shellfish and patch quality is 🧂 unranked krab.
status: 📣 needs proof: The PR needs real behavior proof before ClawSweeper can clear the contributor ask. Needs stronger real behavior proof before merge: The PR body includes terminal source checks and build/test claims, but not redacted terminal/live output from the real Tavily command showing the SecretRef failure is gone; after adding proof, updating the PR body should trigger a fresh ClawSweeper review, or a maintainer can request @clawsweeper re-review. After adding proof, update the PR body; ClawSweeper should re-review automatically. If it does not, the PR author or someone with repository write access can comment @clawsweeper re-review.

Evidence reviewed

PR surface:

Source -3. Total -3 across 1 file.

View PR surface stats

Area	Files	Added	Removed	Net
Source	1	7	10	-3
Tests	0	0	0	0
Docs	0	0	0	0
Config	0	0	0	0
Generated	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0
Total	1	7	10	-3

Security concerns:

[medium] Unavailable configured SecretRefs can fall through to ambient env — extensions/tavily/src/config.ts:40
The patch drops SecretRef details for any configured_unavailable result, making an explicit but unresolved credential reference behave like no config was set and allowing TAVILY_API_KEY to be used instead.
Confidence: 0.86

What I checked:

Current main failure path: Current main still calls strict normalizeResolvedSecretInputString before checking process.env.TAVILY_API_KEY, so an unresolved configured SecretRef can throw before the fallback runs. (extensions/tavily/src/config.ts:37, f9f94e7dcd23)
PR drops unavailable-ref details: The proposed return converts every non-available inspect result to undefined, making configured-unavailable refs indistinguishable from missing config before the env fallback. (extensions/tavily/src/config.ts:40, ac9eb9555efa)
Secret-input contract: resolveSecretInputString returns configured_unavailable with the unresolved ref in inspect mode, while strict mode throws UnresolvedSecretInputError. (src/config/types.secrets.ts:224, f9f94e7dcd23)
Safe sync sibling pattern: XAI and Comfy keep the unavailable ref source/id and only read env credentials after env-source and allowlist checks. (extensions/xai/src/tool-auth-shared.ts:55, f9f94e7dcd23)
Read-only env-ref guard: canResolveEnvSecretRefInReadOnlyPath checks the configured secret provider source and allowlist before a plugin read-only path uses an env SecretRef. (src/plugin-sdk/extension-shared.ts:220, f9f94e7dcd23)
Adjacent Tavily tests: Existing Tavily tests cover plain configured keys and env fallback, but not configured SecretRef fallback or wrong-ref blocking. (extensions/tavily/src/tavily-tools.test.ts:392, f9f94e7dcd23)

Likely related people:

Lakshya Agarwal: Commit b36e456 introduced the bundled Tavily plugin and its config/auth helper surface. (role: introduced behavior; confidence: high; commits: b36e456b0916; files: extensions/tavily/src/config.ts, extensions/tavily/src/tavily-client.ts)
Vincent Koc: Commit e1c0e94 added Tavily config/search helper coverage, making this area relevant for regression-test routing. (role: adjacent test contributor; confidence: medium; commits: e1c0e94d0c3d, f285087c852d; files: extensions/tavily/src/tavily-tools.test.ts, extensions/tavily)
Josh Lehman: Blame shows commit d216f7c carried the current strict Tavily config helper into the present file layout. (role: recent area contributor; confidence: medium; commits: d216f7c876dd; files: extensions/tavily/src/config.ts, extensions/tavily/src/tavily-tools.test.ts)

What the crustacean ranks mean

🦀 challenger crab: rare, exceptional readiness with strong proof, clean implementation, and convincing validation.
🦞 diamond lobster: very strong readiness with only minor maintainer review expected.
🐚 platinum hermit: good normal PR, likely mergeable with ordinary maintainer review.
🦐 gold shrimp: useful signal, but proof or patch confidence is still limited.
🦪 silver shellfish: thin signal; proof, validation, or implementation needs work.
🧂 unranked krab: not merge-ready because proof is missing/unusable or there are serious correctness or safety concerns.
🌊 off-meta tidepool: rating does not apply to this item.

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liuhao1024 · 2026-06-20T01:14:18Z

Closing as clawsweeper identified this as a superseded/duplicate of prior attempts. Cleaning up stale PRs.

openclaw-barnacle Bot added extensions: tavily size: XS labels Jun 19, 2026

clawsweeper Bot mentioned this pull request Jun 19, 2026

Tavily plugin throws UnresolvedSecretInputError before falling back to process.env #95109

Closed

kzzalews mentioned this pull request Jun 19, 2026

fix(tavily): fall back to process.env when config SecretRef is unresolvable #95110

Closed

2 tasks

ci: re-trigger ClawSweeper evaluation

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liuhao1024 closed this Jun 20, 2026

clawsweeper Bot mentioned this pull request Jun 21, 2026

fix(tavily): allow env fallback for unresolved apiKey refs #95450

Closed

clawsweeper Bot mentioned this pull request Jun 30, 2026

fix: resolve Tavily SecretRefs in agent tools #97827

Merged

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fix(tavily): use inspect mode for SecretRef resolution to allow env fallback (fixes #95109)#95112

fix(tavily): use inspect mode for SecretRef resolution to allow env fallback (fixes #95109)#95112
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liuhao1024 commented Jun 19, 2026

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