fix(mcp): republish credentials after policy binding

src/lib/actions/sandbox/mcp-bridge-add-restart.ts

@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import {
   observeMcpCredentialRevision,
   providerMatchesCredential,
   providerShapeDetail,
+  refreshMcpProviderEnvironment,
   upsertMcpProvider,
   waitForAttachedMcpCredential,
   waitForDetachedMcpCredential,
@@ -434,6 +435,7 @@ async function addMcpBridgeUnlocked(
     providerAttachAttempted = true;
     attachProvider(sandboxName, entry);
     applyGeneratedPolicy(sandboxName, entry, target);
+    refreshMcpProviderEnvironment(entry);
     waitForAttachedMcpCredential(sandboxName, entry, {
       ...(providerResult.action === "updated"
         ? {

src/lib/actions/sandbox/mcp-bridge-input-targets.test.ts

@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ replace(provider, "upsertMcpProvider", () => ({
   },
 }));
 replace(provider, "attachProvider", () => {});
+replace(provider, "refreshMcpProviderEnvironment", () => {});
 replace(provider, "waitForAttachedMcpCredential", () => {});
 registry.registerSandbox({ name: "alpha", agent: "openclaw" });
 require("./src/lib/actions/sandbox/mcp-bridge.js").addMcpBridge("alpha", {

src/lib/actions/sandbox/mcp-bridge-provider-mutation.ts

@@ -249,6 +249,49 @@ export function upsertMcpProvider(
   return { action: action === "create" ? "created" : "updated", inspection: after };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Republish an attached provider after its endpointless credential binding is
+ * active. OpenShell's Docker sidecar can observe the provider mutation before
+ * the bound policy generation; a no-field update advances the provider
+ * revision without reading or rotating the stored credential, giving the
+ * sidecar a post-policy generation to synchronize.
+ */
+export function refreshMcpProviderEnvironment(entry: McpBridgeEntry): McpProviderInspection {
+  assertPersistedAuthenticatedBridgeEntry(entry);
+  if (!entry.providerName || !entry.providerId) {
+    throw new McpBridgeError(
+      `MCP server '${entry.server}' has no stable OpenShell provider identity for credential synchronization.`,
+    );
+  }
+  const before = inspectMcpProvider(entry.providerName);
+  if (!providerMatchesCredential(before, entry.env[0], entry.providerId)) {
+    throw new McpBridgeError(
+      `OpenShell provider '${entry.providerName}' changed before credential synchronization. ${providerShapeDetail(before, entry.env[0], entry.providerId)} Refusing to mutate it.`,
+    );
+  }
+  const result = runOpenshellProviderCommand(["provider", "update", entry.providerName], {
+    ignoreError: true,
+    stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
+  }) as OpenShellCommandResult;
+  if (result.status !== 0) {
+    throw new McpBridgeError(
+      commandOutput(result) ||
+        `Failed to synchronize MCP provider '${entry.providerName}' after policy binding.`,
+    );
+  }
+  const after = inspectMcpProvider(entry.providerName);
+  if (
+    !providerMatchesCredential(after, entry.env[0], entry.providerId) ||
+    !after.resourceVersion ||
+    after.resourceVersion <= (before.resourceVersion ?? 0)
+  ) {
+    throw new McpBridgeError(
+      `OpenShell provider '${entry.providerName}' changed during credential synchronization. ${providerShapeDetail(after, entry.env[0], entry.providerId)} Refusing later MCP side effects.`,
+    );
+  }
+  return after;
+}
+
 function inspectMcpProviderForDeletion(
   entry: McpBridgeEntry,
   options: { allowLegacyGeneric?: boolean; allowMissing?: boolean; bestEffort?: boolean } = {},

src/lib/actions/sandbox/mcp-bridge-provider.test.ts

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import {
 import {
   assertMcpProviderRecoverable,
   observeMcpCredentialRevision,
+  refreshMcpProviderEnvironment,
   waitForAttachedMcpCredential,
   waitForDetachedMcpCredential,
 } from "./mcp-bridge-provider";
@@ -139,6 +140,50 @@ Provider:
     );
   });
 
+  it("republishes an exact provider only after policy binding without reading its credential", () => {
+    const id = "11111111-2222-4333-8444-555555555555";
+    const providerResult = (resourceVersion: number) => ({
+      pid: 1234,
+      status: 0,
+      signal: null,
+      output: [
+        null,
+        `Id: ${id}\nType: nemoclaw-mcp-v1\nResource version: ${resourceVersion}\nCredential keys: GITHUB_TOKEN\n`,
+        "",
+      ],
+      stdout: `Id: ${id}\nType: nemoclaw-mcp-v1\nResource version: ${resourceVersion}\nCredential keys: GITHUB_TOKEN\n`,
+      stderr: "",
+    });
+    const run = vi
+      .spyOn(providerCommand, "runOpenshellProviderCommand")
+      .mockReturnValueOnce(providerResult(7))
+      .mockReturnValueOnce({
+        pid: 1234,
+        status: 0,
+        signal: null,
+        output: [null, "", ""],
+        stdout: "",
+        stderr: "",
+      })
+      .mockReturnValueOnce(providerResult(8));
+
+    expect(
+      refreshMcpProviderEnvironment({
+        server: "github",
+        agent: "openclaw",
+        adapter: "mcporter",
+        url: "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp",
+        env: ["GITHUB_TOKEN"],
+        providerName: "alpha-mcp-github",
+        providerId: id,
+        policyName: "mcp-bridge-github",
+        addedAt: "2026-08-19T00:00:00.000Z",
+      }),
+    ).toMatchObject({ resourceVersion: 8 });
+    expect(run.mock.calls[1]?.[0]).toEqual(["provider", "update", "alpha-mcp-github"]);
+    expect(run.mock.calls[1]?.[0]).not.toContain("--credential");
+  });
+
   it("distinguishes a real detach from OpenShell's idempotent success", () => {
     expect(
       providerDetachChangedState(0, "✓ Detached provider alpha-mcp-github from sandbox alpha"),

src/lib/actions/sandbox/mcp-bridge-provider.ts

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export {
   detachMissingProviderReference,
   detachProvider,
   ensureMcpBridgeProviderProfile,
+  refreshMcpProviderEnvironment,
   providerDetachChangedState,
   upsertMcpProvider,
 } from "./mcp-bridge-provider-mutation";

src/lib/actions/sandbox/mcp-bridge-restart.ts

@@ -14,8 +14,9 @@ import {
   assertNoAttachedProviderCredentialCollisions,
   assertNoProviderCredentialCollisions,
   attachProvider,
-  ensureMcpBridgeProviderProfile,
   detachMissingProviderReference,
+  ensureMcpBridgeProviderProfile,
+  refreshMcpProviderEnvironment,
   type McpCredentialRevisionObservation,
   type McpProviderInspection,
   observeMcpCredentialRevision,
@@ -171,6 +172,7 @@ async function restartMcpBridgeUnlocked(sandboxName: string, server?: string): P
     }
     attachProvider(sandboxName, entry);
     applyGeneratedPolicy(sandboxName, entry, target);
+    refreshMcpProviderEnvironment(entry);
     waitForAttachedMcpCredential(sandboxName, entry, {
       ...(providerResult.action === "updated"
         ? { previousRevision: previousCredentialRevision }
@@ -239,6 +241,7 @@ export async function restoreExistingMcpBridgeRuntime(
     });
     attachProvider(sandboxName, entry);
     applyGeneratedPolicy(sandboxName, entry, resolvedTargetPins(resolvedByServer, entry));
+    refreshMcpProviderEnvironment(entry);
     waitForAttachedMcpCredential(sandboxName, entry);
     const adapter = (entry.adapter as AgentMcpAdapter | undefined) ?? defaultAdapter;
     registerAgentAdapter(

test/deepagents-mcp-legacy-lifecycle.test.ts

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ type ProviderType = "generic" | "nemoclaw-mcp-v1";
 
 let providerExists = true;
 let providerType: ProviderType = "generic";
+let providerResourceVersion = 1;
 let attached = true;
 let adapterRegistered = true;
 let adapterRemovalOutcome = "";
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 
   providerExists = true;
   providerType = "generic";
+  providerResourceVersion = 1;
   attached = true;
   adapterRegistered = true;
   adapterRemovalOutcome = "";
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
         return providerExists
           ? {
               status: 0,
-              stdout: `Id: ${providerId}\nType: ${providerType}\nResource version: 1\nCredential keys: GITHUB_TOKEN\n`,
+              stdout: `Id: ${providerId}\nType: ${providerType}\nResource version: ${providerResourceVersion}\nCredential keys: GITHUB_TOKEN\n`,
               stderr: "",
             }
           : { status: 1, stdout: "", stderr: "Provider not found" };
@@ -138,6 +140,9 @@ beforeEach(() => {
       case args[0] === "sandbox" && args[1] === "provider" && args[2] === "attach":
         attached = true;
         return { status: 0, stdout: "Attached provider", stderr: "" };
+      case args[0] === "provider" && args[1] === "update":
+        providerResourceVersion += 1;
+        return { status: 0, stdout: "Updated provider", stderr: "" };
       case args[0] === "provider" && args[1] === "delete":
         providerExists = false;
         attached = false;

test/mcp-add-crash-consistency.test.ts

@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ const crashAfter = ${JSON.stringify(crashAfter)};
 const marker = (name) => path.join(process.env.HOME, name + ".marker");
 const mark = (name) => fs.writeFileSync(marker(name), "yes\n", { mode: 0o600 });
 const marked = (name) => fs.existsSync(marker(name));
+const providerVersion = () => Number.parseInt(marked("provider-version") ? fs.readFileSync(marker("provider-version"), "utf8") : "1", 10);
+const setProviderVersion = (version) => fs.writeFileSync(marker("provider-version"), String(version), { mode: 0o600 });
 const providerPresentAtStart = marked("provider");
 const providerId = "11111111-2222-4333-8444-555555555555";
 const foreignProviderId = "99999999-8888-4777-8666-555555555555";
@@ -84,17 +86,17 @@ providerCommands.runOpenshellProviderCommand = (args) => {
     if (crashAfter === "race" && providerGetCount === 2) mark("provider");
     if (crashAfter === "late-race" && providerGetCount === 3) mark("provider");
     return marked("provider")
-      ? { status: 0, stdout: "Id: " + (marked("foreign-provider") ? foreignProviderId : providerId) + "\nType: nemoclaw-mcp-v1\nResource version: " + (marked("updated") ? "2" : "1") + "\nCredential keys: FAKE_MCP_SECRET\n", stderr: "" }
+      ? { status: 0, stdout: "Id: " + (marked("foreign-provider") ? foreignProviderId : providerId) + "\nType: nemoclaw-mcp-v1\nResource version: " + providerVersion() + "\nCredential keys: FAKE_MCP_SECRET\n", stderr: "" }
       : { status: 1, stdout: "", stderr: "NotFound: provider" };
   }
   if (args[0] === "provider" && (args[1] === "create" || args[1] === "update")) {
     if (!marked("policy")) {
       return { status: 1, stdout: "", stderr: "provider mutation preceded policy attestation" };
     }
-    if (args[1] === "create") observedProviderName = args[args.indexOf("--name") + 1];
-    if (args[1] === "update") observedProviderName = args[2];
+    if (args[1] === "create") observedProviderName = args[args.indexOf("--name") + 1], setProviderVersion(1);
+    if (args[1] === "update") observedProviderName = args[2], setProviderVersion(providerVersion() + 1);
     mark("provider");
-    if (args[1] === "update") mark("updated");
+    if (args[1] === "update" && args.includes("--credential")) mark("updated");
     if (crashAfter === "registered-late-collision") registry.addExtraProvider("foreign-registered");
     if (crashAfter === "provider") process.exit(86);
     return { status: 0, stdout: args[1] === "create" ? "Created provider" : "Updated provider", stderr: "" };
@@ -168,7 +170,7 @@ processRecovery.executeSandboxExecCommand = (_sandbox, command) => {
   isPreupdateObservation && mark("observation");
   return {
     status: crashAfter === "preupdate-observation-forbidden" && isPreupdateObservation ? 1 : 0,
-    stdout: isObservation ? (marked("updated") ? "v2" : marked("provider") ? "v1" : "absent") : "",
+    stdout: isObservation ? (marked("updated") ? "v" + providerVersion() : marked("provider") ? "v1" : "absent") : "",
     stderr: "",
   };
 };

test/mcp-destroy-lifecycle.test.ts

@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@ async function captureMessage(action: () => Promise<unknown>): Promise<string> {
     return error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
   }
 }
-
 function registerAlphaGithubBridge(): void {
   registry.registerSandbox({
     name: "alpha",
@@ -303,6 +302,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
       case args[0] === "sandbox" && args[1] === "provider" && args[2] === "attach":
         testState.attachedProviders.add(args[4]);
         return { status: 0, stdout: "Attached provider", stderr: "" };
+      case args[0] === "provider" && args[1] === "update" && args.length === 3: return Object.assign(testState.providers.get(args[2])!, { resourceVersion: 2 }) && { status: 0, stdout: "Updated provider", stderr: "" };
       case args[0] === "provider" &&
         args[1] === "delete" &&
         testState.failProviderDelete === args[2]:
@@ -1239,7 +1239,7 @@ describe("authenticated MCP sandbox destroy lifecycle", () => {
     expect(
       testState.calls.some((call) => call === "sandbox provider attach alpha alpha-mcp-github"),
     ).toBe(true);
-    expect(testState.calls.some((call) => /^provider (create|update) /.test(call))).toBe(false);
+    expect(testState.calls.some((call) => /^provider (create|update) .*--credential/.test(call))).toBe(false);
     expect(testState.policyApplyCalls).toBe(2);
     expect(testState.adapterCalls).toContain("command -v mcporter");
     expect(
@@ -1320,7 +1320,7 @@ describe("authenticated MCP sandbox destroy lifecycle", () => {
     await bridge.restoreMcpBridgesAfterRebuild("alpha", [bridgeEntries.github]);
 
     expect(process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN).toBe("ambient-value-that-must-not-rotate");
-    expect(testState.calls.some((call) => /^provider (create|update) /.test(call))).toBe(false);
+    expect(testState.calls.some((call) => /^provider (create|update) .*--credential/.test(call))).toBe(false);
     expect([...testState.attachedProviders]).toContain("alpha-mcp-github");
     expect(testState.adapterRegistered).toBe(true);
     expect(testState.policyApplyCalls).toBe(2);

test/mcp-restart-policy-order.test.ts

@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ providerCommands.runOpenshellProviderCommand = (args) => {
   }
   if (args[0] === "provider" && args[1] === "update") {
     providerCalls.push(command);
-    resourceVersion = 2;
+    resourceVersion += 1;
     return { status: 0, stdout: "Updated provider", stderr: "" };
   }
   if (args[0] === "sandbox" && args[1] === "provider" && args[2] === "list") {
@@ -296,9 +296,10 @@ bridge.restartMcpBridge("alpha", "example").then(
       providerCalls: string[];
       registeredProviderGets: number;
     };
-    expect(payload.observations).toEqual(["v1", "v2"]);
+    expect(payload.observations).toEqual(["v1", "v3"]);
     expect(payload.providerCalls).toEqual([
       "provider update alpha-mcp-example --credential MCP_TOKEN",
+      "provider update alpha-mcp-example",
     ]);
     expect(payload.registeredProviderGets).toBe(1);
     expect(payload.proofScripts).toHaveLength(2);