fix(update): preserve plugin policy on failures (#108661)

docs/cli/update.md

@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ If an exact pinned npm plugin update resolves to an artifact whose integrity dif
 </Warning>
 
 <Note>
-Post-update plugin sync failures that are scoped to a managed plugin and that the sync path can route around (for example an unreachable npm registry for a non-essential plugin) are reported as warnings after the core update succeeds. The JSON result keeps top-level update `status: "ok"` and reports `postUpdate.plugins.status: "warning"` with `openclaw update repair` and `openclaw plugins inspect <id> --runtime --json` guidance. Unexpected updater or sync exceptions still fail the update result. Fix the plugin install or update error, then rerun `openclaw update repair`.
+Post-update plugin sync failures that are scoped to a managed plugin and that the sync path can route around (for example an unreachable npm registry for a non-essential plugin) are reported as warnings after the core update succeeds. The JSON result keeps top-level update `status: "ok"` and reports `postUpdate.plugins.status: "warning"` with `openclaw update repair` and `openclaw plugins inspect <id> --runtime --json` guidance. Unexpected updater or sync exceptions still fail the update result. Fix the plugin install or update error, then rerun `openclaw update repair`. When a failed update leaves a managed plugin unusable, OpenClaw disables its runtime entry and resets active slots without changing the operator-authored `plugins.allow` or `plugins.deny` policy.
 
 After the per-plugin sync step, `openclaw update` runs a mandatory **post-core convergence** pass before the gateway restarts: it repairs missing configured plugin payloads, validates each _active_ tracked install record on disk, and statically verifies its `package.json` is parseable (and any explicitly declared `main` exists). Failures from this pass, and an invalid config snapshot, return `postUpdate.plugins.status: "error"` and flip the top-level update `status` to `"error"`, so `openclaw update` exits non-zero and the gateway is _not_ restarted with an unverified plugin set. The error includes structured `postUpdate.plugins.warnings[].guidance` lines pointing at `openclaw update repair` and `openclaw plugins inspect <id> --runtime --json`. Disabled plugin entries and records that are not trusted-source-linked official sync targets are skipped here (mirroring the `skipDisabledPlugins` policy used by the missing-payload check), so a stale disabled plugin record cannot block an otherwise valid update.
 

scripts/e2e/lib/plugin-update/corrupt-update-scenario.sh

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ start_npm_fixture_registry "@openclaw/demo-corrupt-plugin" "0.0.1" /tmp/demo-cor
 
 echo "Installing managed external plugin..."
 node "$entry" plugins install "npm:@openclaw/demo-corrupt-plugin@0.0.1" --force >/tmp/openclaw-corrupt-plugin-install.log 2>&1
+node "$entry" config set plugins.allow '["demo-corrupt-plugin"]' >/dev/null
 node "$entry" plugins inspect demo-corrupt-plugin --runtime --json >/tmp/openclaw-corrupt-plugin-before.json
 unset NPM_CONFIG_REGISTRY npm_config_registry
 
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ if [ "$update_status" -ne 0 ]; then
     exit "$post_core_status"
   fi
   node scripts/e2e/lib/plugin-update/probe.mjs assert-corrupt-plugin-result /tmp/openclaw-update-corrupt-plugin-post-core.json demo-corrupt-plugin
+  node scripts/e2e/lib/plugin-update/probe.mjs assert-disabled-policy-preserved "$OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH" demo-corrupt-plugin
   exit 0
 fi
 
@@ -115,3 +117,4 @@ if ! node scripts/e2e/lib/plugin-update/probe.mjs assert-corrupt-update /tmp/ope
   openclaw_e2e_print_log /tmp/openclaw-update-corrupt-plugin.err >&2
   exit 1
 fi
+node scripts/e2e/lib/plugin-update/probe.mjs assert-disabled-policy-preserved "$OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH" demo-corrupt-plugin

scripts/e2e/lib/plugin-update/probe.mjs

@@ -286,6 +286,17 @@ function assertLegacyPostUpdatePluginFailure(updateJsonPath) {
   }
 }
 
+function assertDisabledPluginPolicyPreserved(configPath, pluginId) {
+  const config = readJson(configPath);
+  const allow = config.plugins?.allow;
+  if (JSON.stringify(allow) !== JSON.stringify([pluginId])) {
+    throw new Error(`expected plugins.allow to preserve ${pluginId}, got ${JSON.stringify(allow)}`);
+  }
+  if (config.plugins?.entries?.[pluginId]?.enabled !== false) {
+    throw new Error(`expected ${pluginId} to be disabled after update failure`);
+  }
+}
+
 const [command, arg, arg2] = process.argv.slice(2);
 const commands = {
   "legacy-compat": () => console.log(legacyPackageAcceptanceCompat(arg || "") ? "1" : "0"),
@@ -297,6 +308,7 @@ const commands = {
   "assert-corrupt-update": () => assertCorruptUpdate(arg, arg2),
   "assert-corrupt-plugin-result": () => assertCorruptPluginResult(arg, arg2),
   "assert-legacy-post-update-plugin-failure": () => assertLegacyPostUpdatePluginFailure(arg),
+  "assert-disabled-policy-preserved": () => assertDisabledPluginPolicyPreserved(arg, arg2),
 };
 const run = commands[command];
 await (

src/plugins/update.test.ts

@@ -2173,6 +2173,11 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
       config: {
         plugins: {
           allow: ["lossless-claw", "keep"],
+          deny: ["lossless-claw", "blocked"],
+          slots: {
+            memory: "lossless-claw",
+            contextEngine: "lossless-claw",
+          },
           entries: {
             "lossless-claw": {
               enabled: true,
@@ -2201,7 +2206,12 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
       enabled: false,
       config: { preserved: true },
     });
-    expect(result.config.plugins?.allow).toEqual(["keep"]);
+    expect(result.config.plugins?.allow).toEqual(["lossless-claw", "keep"]);
+    expect(result.config.plugins?.deny).toEqual(["lossless-claw", "blocked"]);
+    expect(result.config.plugins?.slots).toEqual({
+      memory: "memory-core",
+      contextEngine: "legacy",
+    });
     expect(result.outcomes).toEqual([
       {
         pluginId: "lossless-claw",
@@ -2265,6 +2275,7 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
     const config = {
       plugins: {
         allow: ["demo", "other"],
+        deny: ["demo", "blocked"],
         slots: { memory: "demo" },
         entries: {
           demo: {
@@ -2297,7 +2308,8 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
       enabled: false,
       config: { preserved: true },
     });
-    expect(result.config.plugins?.allow).toEqual(["other"]);
+    expect(result.config.plugins?.allow).toEqual(["demo", "other"]);
+    expect(result.config.plugins?.deny).toEqual(["demo", "blocked"]);
     expect(result.config.plugins?.slots?.memory).toBe("memory-core");
     expect(result.outcomes).toEqual([
       {
@@ -2883,7 +2895,7 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  it("disables enabled tracked plugin update failures when requested", async () => {
+  it("disables failed plugin activation without revoking explicit policy", async () => {
     const warn = vi.fn();
     installPluginFromNpmSpecMock.mockResolvedValue({
       ok: false,
@@ -2930,7 +2942,7 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
       enabled: false,
       config: { preserved: true },
     });
-    expect(result.config.plugins?.allow).toEqual(["other"]);
+    expect(result.config.plugins?.allow).toEqual(["demo", "other"]);
     expect(result.config.plugins?.deny).toEqual(["blocked"]);
     expect(result.config.plugins?.slots).toEqual({
       memory: "memory-core",
@@ -3033,7 +3045,7 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
       enabled: false,
       config: { preserved: true },
     });
-    expect(result.config.plugins?.allow).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(result.config.plugins?.allow).toEqual(["demo"]);
     expect(result.config.plugins?.slots?.memory).toBe("memory-core");
     expect(result.outcomes).toEqual([
       {
@@ -3182,7 +3194,7 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
       enabled: false,
       config: { preserved: true },
     });
-    expect(result.config.plugins?.allow).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(result.config.plugins?.allow).toEqual(["demo"]);
     expect(result.config.plugins?.slots).toEqual({
       memory: "memory-core",
     });

src/plugins/update.ts

@@ -1287,17 +1287,6 @@ function createPluginUpdateIntegrityDriftHandler(params: {
   };
 }
 
-function removeDisabledPluginIdFromList(
-  list: string[] | undefined,
-  pluginId: string,
-): string[] | undefined {
-  if (!Array.isArray(list) || !list.includes(pluginId)) {
-    return list;
-  }
-  const next = list.filter((id) => id !== pluginId);
-  return next.length > 0 ? next : undefined;
-}
-
 function resetDisabledPluginSlots(
   slots: NonNullable<OpenClawConfig["plugins"]>["slots"] | undefined,
   pluginId: string,
@@ -1321,15 +1310,15 @@ function resetDisabledPluginSlots(
   return next;
 }
 
-function disablePluginConfigEntry(config: OpenClawConfig, pluginId: string): OpenClawConfig {
+function disablePluginAfterUpdateFailure(config: OpenClawConfig, pluginId: string): OpenClawConfig {
   const pluginsConfig = config.plugins ?? {};
   const existingEntry = pluginsConfig.entries?.[pluginId];
   return {
     ...config,
     plugins: {
       ...pluginsConfig,
-      allow: removeDisabledPluginIdFromList(pluginsConfig.allow, pluginId),
-      deny: removeDisabledPluginIdFromList(pluginsConfig.deny, pluginId),
+      // Update failure changes activation, not operator-authored trust policy.
+      // Removing the final allow entry would widen discovery to other plugins.
       slots: resetDisabledPluginSlots(pluginsConfig.slots, pluginId),
       entries: {
         ...pluginsConfig.entries,
@@ -1459,7 +1448,7 @@ export async function updateNpmInstalledPlugins(params: {
         `Disabled "${pluginId}" after plugin update failure; OpenClaw will continue without it. ` +
         message;
       logger.warn?.(disabledMessage);
-      next = disablePluginConfigEntry(next, pluginId);
+      next = disablePluginAfterUpdateFailure(next, pluginId);
       changed = true;
       outcomes.push({
         pluginId,

test/scripts/plugin-update-unchanged-docker.test.ts

@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ describe("plugin update unchanged Docker E2E", () => {
     const script = readFileSync(CORRUPT_UPDATE_SCENARIO_SCRIPT, "utf8");
 
     expect(script).toContain('plugins install "npm:@openclaw/demo-corrupt-plugin@0.0.1" --force');
+    expect(script).toContain("config set plugins.allow '[\"demo-corrupt-plugin\"]'");
     expect(script).toContain("OPENCLAW_UPDATE_CORRUPT_PLUGIN_TIMEOUT_SECONDS");
     expect(script).toContain(
       "openclaw_e2e_read_positive_int_env OPENCLAW_UPDATE_CORRUPT_PLUGIN_TIMEOUT_SECONDS 900",
@@ -230,6 +231,26 @@ describe("plugin update unchanged Docker E2E", () => {
     );
     expect(script.match(/openclaw_e2e_print_log \/tmp\/openclaw-update-corrupt-/g)).toHaveLength(8);
     expect(script).not.toContain("cat /tmp/openclaw-update-corrupt-");
+    expect(script.match(/assert-disabled-policy-preserved/g)).toHaveLength(2);
+  });
+
+  it("requires corrupt update failures to preserve the explicit allow policy", () => {
+    expect(() =>
+      runProbe("assert-disabled-policy-preserved", {
+        plugins: {
+          allow: [CORRUPT_PLUGIN_ID],
+          entries: { [CORRUPT_PLUGIN_ID]: { enabled: false } },
+        },
+      }),
+    ).not.toThrow();
+
+    const revokedPolicy = runProbeStatus("assert-disabled-policy-preserved", {
+      plugins: {
+        entries: { [CORRUPT_PLUGIN_ID]: { enabled: false } },
+      },
+    });
+    expect(revokedPolicy.status).not.toBe(0);
+    expect(revokedPolicy.stderr).toContain("expected plugins.allow to preserve");
   });
 
   it("requires disabled-after-failure corrupt plugin updates to stay warnings", () => {