fix(sessions): resolve transcript paths with explicit agent context (#16288)

Merged via /review-pr -> /prepare-pr -> /merge-pr.

Prepared head SHA: 7cbe9deca9
Co-authored-by: robbyczgw-cla <239660374+robbyczgw-cla@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: gumadeiras <5599352+gumadeiras@users.noreply.github.com>
Reviewed-by: @gumadeiras

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Sessions/Agents: harden transcript path resolution for mismatched agent context by preserving explicit store roots and adding safe absolute-path fallback to the correct agent sessions directory. (#16288) Thanks @robbyczgw-cla.
 - BlueBubbles: include sender identity in group chat envelopes and pass clean message text to the agent prompt, aligning with iMessage/Signal formatting. (#16210) Thanks @zerone0x.
 - WhatsApp: honor per-account `dmPolicy` overrides (account-level settings now take precedence over channel defaults for inbound DMs). (#10082) Thanks @mcaxtr.
 - Security/Node Host: enforce `system.run` rawCommand/argv consistency to prevent allowlist/approval bypass. Thanks @christos-eth.

src/agents/subagent-announce.ts

@@ -230,10 +230,12 @@ async function buildSubagentStatsLine(params: {
   });
 
   const sessionId = entry?.sessionId;
+  const agentId = resolveAgentIdFromSessionKey(params.sessionKey);
   let transcriptPath: string | undefined;
   if (sessionId && storePath) {
     try {
       transcriptPath = resolveSessionFilePath(sessionId, entry, {
+        agentId,
         sessionsDir: path.dirname(storePath),
       });
     } catch {

src/agents/tools/sessions-list-tool.ts

@@ -161,7 +161,10 @@ export function createSessionsListTool(opts?: {
             transcriptPath = resolveSessionFilePath(
               sessionId,
               sessionFile ? { sessionFile } : undefined,
-              { sessionsDir: path.dirname(storePath) },
+              {
+                agentId: resolveAgentIdFromSessionKey(key),
+                sessionsDir: path.dirname(storePath),
+              },
             );
           } catch {
             transcriptPath = undefined;

src/config/sessions/paths.test.ts

@@ -96,30 +96,96 @@ describe("session path safety", () => {
     expect(resolved).toBe(path.resolve(sessionsDir, "abc-123-topic-42.jsonl"));
   });
 
-  it("rejects absolute sessionFile paths outside the sessions dir", () => {
+  it("rejects absolute sessionFile paths outside known agent sessions dirs", () => {
     const sessionsDir = "/tmp/openclaw/agents/main/sessions";
 
     expect(() =>
       resolveSessionFilePath(
         "sess-1",
-        { sessionFile: "/tmp/openclaw/agents/work/sessions/abc-123.jsonl" },
+        { sessionFile: "/tmp/openclaw/agents/work/not-sessions/abc-123.jsonl" },
         { sessionsDir },
       ),
     ).toThrow(/within sessions directory/);
   });
 
+  it("uses explicit agentId fallback for absolute sessionFile outside sessionsDir", () => {
+    const mainSessionsDir = path.dirname(resolveStorePath(undefined, { agentId: "main" }));
+    const opsSessionsDir = path.dirname(resolveStorePath(undefined, { agentId: "ops" }));
+    const opsSessionFile = path.join(opsSessionsDir, "abc-123.jsonl");
+
+    const resolved = resolveSessionFilePath(
+      "sess-1",
+      { sessionFile: opsSessionFile },
+      { sessionsDir: mainSessionsDir, agentId: "ops" },
+    );
+
+    expect(resolved).toBe(path.resolve(opsSessionFile));
+  });
+
+  it("uses absolute path fallback when sessionFile includes a different agent dir", () => {
+    const mainSessionsDir = path.dirname(resolveStorePath(undefined, { agentId: "main" }));
+    const opsSessionsDir = path.dirname(resolveStorePath(undefined, { agentId: "ops" }));
+    const opsSessionFile = path.join(opsSessionsDir, "abc-123.jsonl");
+
+    const resolved = resolveSessionFilePath(
+      "sess-1",
+      { sessionFile: opsSessionFile },
+      { sessionsDir: mainSessionsDir },
+    );
+
+    expect(resolved).toBe(path.resolve(opsSessionFile));
+  });
+
+  it("uses sibling fallback for custom per-agent store roots", () => {
+    const mainSessionsDir = "/srv/custom/agents/main/sessions";
+    const opsSessionFile = "/srv/custom/agents/ops/sessions/abc-123.jsonl";
+
+    const resolved = resolveSessionFilePath(
+      "sess-1",
+      { sessionFile: opsSessionFile },
+      { sessionsDir: mainSessionsDir, agentId: "ops" },
+    );
+
+    expect(resolved).toBe(path.resolve(opsSessionFile));
+  });
+
+  it("uses extracted agent fallback for custom per-agent store roots", () => {
+    const mainSessionsDir = "/srv/custom/agents/main/sessions";
+    const opsSessionFile = "/srv/custom/agents/ops/sessions/abc-123.jsonl";
+
+    const resolved = resolveSessionFilePath(
+      "sess-1",
+      { sessionFile: opsSessionFile },
+      { sessionsDir: mainSessionsDir },
+    );
+
+    expect(resolved).toBe(path.resolve(opsSessionFile));
+  });
+
   it("uses agent sessions dir fallback for transcript path", () => {
     const resolved = resolveSessionTranscriptPath("sess-1", "main");
     expect(resolved.endsWith(path.join("agents", "main", "sessions", "sess-1.jsonl"))).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it("prefers storePath when resolving session file options", () => {
+  it("keeps storePath and agentId when resolving session file options", () => {
     const opts = resolveSessionFilePathOptions({
       storePath: "/tmp/custom/agent-store/sessions.json",
       agentId: "ops",
     });
     expect(opts).toEqual({
       sessionsDir: path.resolve("/tmp/custom/agent-store"),
+      agentId: "ops",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("keeps custom per-agent store roots when agentId is provided", () => {
+    const opts = resolveSessionFilePathOptions({
+      storePath: "/srv/custom/agents/ops/sessions/sessions.json",
+      agentId: "ops",
+    });
+    expect(opts).toEqual({
+      sessionsDir: path.resolve("/srv/custom/agents/ops/sessions"),
+      agentId: "ops",
     });
   });
 

src/config/sessions/paths.ts

@@ -42,11 +42,12 @@ export function resolveSessionFilePathOptions(params: {
   agentId?: string;
   storePath?: string;
 }): SessionFilePathOptions | undefined {
+  const agentId = params.agentId?.trim();
   const storePath = params.storePath?.trim();
   if (storePath) {
-    return { sessionsDir: path.dirname(path.resolve(storePath)) };
+    const sessionsDir = path.dirname(path.resolve(storePath));
+    return agentId ? { sessionsDir, agentId } : { sessionsDir };
   }
-  const agentId = params.agentId?.trim();
   if (agentId) {
     return { agentId };
   }
@@ -71,7 +72,51 @@ function resolveSessionsDir(opts?: SessionFilePathOptions): string {
   return resolveAgentSessionsDir(opts?.agentId);
 }
 
-function resolvePathWithinSessionsDir(sessionsDir: string, candidate: string): string {
+function resolvePathFromAgentSessionsDir(
+  agentSessionsDir: string,
+  candidateAbsPath: string,
+): string | undefined {
+  const agentBase = path.resolve(agentSessionsDir);
+  const relative = path.relative(agentBase, candidateAbsPath);
+  if (!relative || relative.startsWith("..") || path.isAbsolute(relative)) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  return path.resolve(agentBase, relative);
+}
+
+function resolveSiblingAgentSessionsDir(
+  baseSessionsDir: string,
+  agentId: string,
+): string | undefined {
+  const resolvedBase = path.resolve(baseSessionsDir);
+  if (path.basename(resolvedBase) !== "sessions") {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const baseAgentDir = path.dirname(resolvedBase);
+  const baseAgentsDir = path.dirname(baseAgentDir);
+  if (path.basename(baseAgentsDir) !== "agents") {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const rootDir = path.dirname(baseAgentsDir);
+  return path.join(rootDir, "agents", normalizeAgentId(agentId), "sessions");
+}
+
+function extractAgentIdFromAbsoluteSessionPath(candidateAbsPath: string): string | undefined {
+  const normalized = path.normalize(path.resolve(candidateAbsPath));
+  const parts = normalized.split(path.sep).filter(Boolean);
+  const sessionsIndex = parts.lastIndexOf("sessions");
+  if (sessionsIndex < 2 || parts[sessionsIndex - 2] !== "agents") {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const agentId = parts[sessionsIndex - 1];
+  return agentId || undefined;
+}
+
+function resolvePathWithinSessionsDir(
+  sessionsDir: string,
+  candidate: string,
+  opts?: { agentId?: string },
+): string {
   const trimmed = candidate.trim();
   if (!trimmed) {
     throw new Error("Session file path must not be empty");
@@ -81,6 +126,34 @@ function resolvePathWithinSessionsDir(sessionsDir: string, candidate: string): s
   // Older versions stored absolute sessionFile paths in sessions.json;
   // convert them to relative so the containment check passes.
   const normalized = path.isAbsolute(trimmed) ? path.relative(resolvedBase, trimmed) : trimmed;
+  if (normalized.startsWith("..") && path.isAbsolute(trimmed)) {
+    const tryAgentFallback = (agentId: string): string | undefined => {
+      const normalizedAgentId = normalizeAgentId(agentId);
+      const siblingSessionsDir = resolveSiblingAgentSessionsDir(resolvedBase, normalizedAgentId);
+      if (siblingSessionsDir) {
+        const siblingResolved = resolvePathFromAgentSessionsDir(siblingSessionsDir, trimmed);
+        if (siblingResolved) {
+          return siblingResolved;
+        }
+      }
+      return resolvePathFromAgentSessionsDir(resolveAgentSessionsDir(normalizedAgentId), trimmed);
+    };
+
+    const explicitAgentId = opts?.agentId?.trim();
+    if (explicitAgentId) {
+      const resolvedFromAgent = tryAgentFallback(explicitAgentId);
+      if (resolvedFromAgent) {
+        return resolvedFromAgent;
+      }
+    }
+    const extractedAgentId = extractAgentIdFromAbsoluteSessionPath(trimmed);
+    if (extractedAgentId) {
+      const resolvedFromPath = tryAgentFallback(extractedAgentId);
+      if (resolvedFromPath) {
+        return resolvedFromPath;
+      }
+    }
+  }
   if (!normalized || normalized.startsWith("..") || path.isAbsolute(normalized)) {
     throw new Error("Session file path must be within sessions directory");
   }
@@ -122,7 +195,7 @@ export function resolveSessionFilePath(
   const sessionsDir = resolveSessionsDir(opts);
   const candidate = entry?.sessionFile?.trim();
   if (candidate) {
-    return resolvePathWithinSessionsDir(sessionsDir, candidate);
+    return resolvePathWithinSessionsDir(sessionsDir, candidate, { agentId: opts?.agentId });
   }
   return resolveSessionTranscriptPathInDir(sessionId, sessionsDir);
 }

src/config/sessions/transcript.ts

@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ export async function appendAssistantMessageToSessionTranscript(params: {
   let sessionFile: string;
   try {
     sessionFile = resolveSessionFilePath(entry.sessionId, entry, {
+      agentId: params.agentId,
       sessionsDir: path.dirname(storePath),
     });
   } catch (err) {

src/gateway/server-methods/chat.ts

@@ -53,8 +53,9 @@ function resolveTranscriptPath(params: {
   sessionId: string;
   storePath: string | undefined;
   sessionFile?: string;
+  agentId?: string;
 }): string | null {
-  const { sessionId, storePath, sessionFile } = params;
+  const { sessionId, storePath, sessionFile, agentId } = params;
   if (!storePath && !sessionFile) {
     return null;
   }
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ function resolveTranscriptPath(params: {
     return resolveSessionFilePath(
       sessionId,
       sessionFile ? { sessionFile } : undefined,
-      sessionsDir ? { sessionsDir } : undefined,
+      sessionsDir || agentId ? { sessionsDir, agentId } : undefined,
     );
   } catch {
     return null;
@@ -99,12 +100,14 @@ function appendAssistantTranscriptMessage(params: {
   sessionId: string;
   storePath: string | undefined;
   sessionFile?: string;
+  agentId?: string;
   createIfMissing?: boolean;
 }): TranscriptAppendResult {
   const transcriptPath = resolveTranscriptPath({
     sessionId: params.sessionId,
     storePath: params.storePath,
     sessionFile: params.sessionFile,
+    agentId: params.agentId,
   });
   if (!transcriptPath) {
     return { ok: false, error: "transcript path not resolved" };
@@ -572,6 +575,7 @@ export const chatHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
                 sessionId,
                 storePath: latestStorePath,
                 sessionFile: latestEntry?.sessionFile,
+                agentId,
                 createIfMissing: true,
               });
               if (appended.ok) {
@@ -666,7 +670,7 @@ export const chatHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
 
     // Load session to find transcript file
     const rawSessionKey = p.sessionKey;
-    const { storePath, entry } = loadSessionEntry(rawSessionKey);
+    const { cfg, storePath, entry } = loadSessionEntry(rawSessionKey);
     const sessionId = entry?.sessionId;
     if (!sessionId || !storePath) {
       respond(false, undefined, errorShape(ErrorCodes.INVALID_REQUEST, "session not found"));
@@ -679,6 +683,7 @@ export const chatHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
       sessionId,
       storePath,
       sessionFile: entry?.sessionFile,
+      agentId: resolveSessionAgentId({ sessionKey: rawSessionKey, config: cfg }),
       createIfMissing: false,
     });
     if (!appended.ok || !appended.messageId || !appended.message) {

src/gateway/session-utils.fs.test.ts

@@ -475,6 +475,58 @@ describe("readSessionMessages", () => {
     expect(marker.__openclaw?.id).toBe("comp-1");
     expect(typeof marker.timestamp).toBe("number");
   });
+
+  test("reads cross-agent absolute sessionFile when storePath points to another agent dir", () => {
+    const sessionId = "cross-agent-default-root";
+    const sessionFile = path.join(tmpDir, "agents", "ops", "sessions", `${sessionId}.jsonl`);
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(sessionFile), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      sessionFile,
+      [
+        JSON.stringify({ type: "session", version: 1, id: sessionId }),
+        JSON.stringify({ message: { role: "user", content: "from-ops" } }),
+      ].join("\n"),
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+
+    const wrongStorePath = path.join(tmpDir, "agents", "main", "sessions", "sessions.json");
+    const out = readSessionMessages(sessionId, wrongStorePath, sessionFile);
+
+    expect(out).toEqual([{ role: "user", content: "from-ops" }]);
+  });
+
+  test("reads cross-agent absolute sessionFile for custom per-agent store roots", () => {
+    const sessionId = "cross-agent-custom-root";
+    const sessionFile = path.join(
+      tmpDir,
+      "custom",
+      "agents",
+      "ops",
+      "sessions",
+      `${sessionId}.jsonl`,
+    );
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(sessionFile), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      sessionFile,
+      [
+        JSON.stringify({ type: "session", version: 1, id: sessionId }),
+        JSON.stringify({ message: { role: "assistant", content: "from-custom-ops" } }),
+      ].join("\n"),
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+
+    const wrongStorePath = path.join(
+      tmpDir,
+      "custom",
+      "agents",
+      "main",
+      "sessions",
+      "sessions.json",
+    );
+    const out = readSessionMessages(sessionId, wrongStorePath, sessionFile);
+
+    expect(out).toEqual([{ role: "assistant", content: "from-custom-ops" }]);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("readSessionPreviewItemsFromTranscript", () => {
@@ -594,6 +646,22 @@ describe("resolveSessionTranscriptCandidates", () => {
 });
 
 describe("resolveSessionTranscriptCandidates safety", () => {
+  test("keeps cross-agent absolute sessionFile when storePath agent context differs", () => {
+    const storePath = "/tmp/openclaw/agents/main/sessions/sessions.json";
+    const sessionFile = "/tmp/openclaw/agents/ops/sessions/sess-safe.jsonl";
+    const candidates = resolveSessionTranscriptCandidates("sess-safe", storePath, sessionFile);
+
+    expect(candidates.map((value) => path.resolve(value))).toContain(path.resolve(sessionFile));
+  });
+
+  test("keeps cross-agent absolute sessionFile for custom per-agent store roots", () => {
+    const storePath = "/srv/custom/agents/main/sessions/sessions.json";
+    const sessionFile = "/srv/custom/agents/ops/sessions/sess-safe.jsonl";
+    const candidates = resolveSessionTranscriptCandidates("sess-safe", storePath, sessionFile);
+
+    expect(candidates.map((value) => path.resolve(value))).toContain(path.resolve(sessionFile));
+  });
+
   test("drops unsafe session IDs instead of producing traversal paths", () => {
     const candidates = resolveSessionTranscriptCandidates(
       "../etc/passwd",

src/gateway/session-utils.fs.ts

@@ -131,7 +131,9 @@ export function resolveSessionTranscriptCandidates(
   if (storePath) {
     const sessionsDir = path.dirname(storePath);
     if (sessionFile) {
-      pushCandidate(() => resolveSessionFilePath(sessionId, { sessionFile }, { sessionsDir }));
+      pushCandidate(() =>
+        resolveSessionFilePath(sessionId, { sessionFile }, { sessionsDir, agentId }),
+      );
     }
     pushCandidate(() => resolveSessionTranscriptPathInDir(sessionId, sessionsDir));
   } else if (sessionFile) {

src/gateway/session-utils.test.ts

@@ -70,6 +70,25 @@ describe("gateway session utils", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  test("resolveSessionStoreKey falls back to first list entry when no agent is marked default", () => {
+    const cfg = {
+      session: { mainKey: "main" },
+      agents: { list: [{ id: "ops" }, { id: "review" }] },
+    } as OpenClawConfig;
+    expect(resolveSessionStoreKey({ cfg, sessionKey: "main" })).toBe("agent:ops:main");
+    expect(resolveSessionStoreKey({ cfg, sessionKey: "discord:group:123" })).toBe(
+      "agent:ops:discord:group:123",
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("resolveSessionStoreKey falls back to main when agents.list is missing", () => {
+    const cfg = {
+      session: { mainKey: "work" },
+    } as OpenClawConfig;
+    expect(resolveSessionStoreKey({ cfg, sessionKey: "main" })).toBe("agent:main:work");
+    expect(resolveSessionStoreKey({ cfg, sessionKey: "thread-1" })).toBe("agent:main:thread-1");
+  });
+
   test("resolveSessionStoreKey normalizes session key casing", () => {
     const cfg = {
       session: { mainKey: "main" },