29 replies

tools.exec.ask: 'always' not working

✅Solved

The OpenClaw agent connected with Discord is executing shell commands directly without prompting for explicit user approval, despite the configuration being set to always require approval for

exec

exec

commands.

OpenClaw Version:
Current Version (Issue Present):

v2026.3.2

v2026.3.2

Previous Version (Working Correctly):

v2026.2.24

v2026.2.24

Relevant Configuration (from your OpenClaw settings):

approvals.exec.enabled: true

approvals.exec.enabled: true

tools.exec.ask: 'always'

tools.exec.ask: 'always'

channels.discord.execApprovals.enabled: true

channels.discord.execApprovals.enabled: true

Observed Behavior (Incorrect in v2026.3.2):
When asked to run

exec

exec

commands (e.g.,

mkdir

mkdir

rm

rm

cat

cat

touch

touch

), the agent executes them immediately without any approval prompt.
Example: A

touch test.txt

touch test.txt

command was executed directly without a prompt.

Expected Behavior (Working in v2026.2.24):
In the previous version (

v2026.2.24

v2026.2.24

) with the identical configuration, the system would issue a prompt similar to:

    🔒 Exec approval required
    ID: [some_id]
    Command: [command_asked]
    CWD: /home/node/.openclaw/workspace
    Host: gateway
    Agent: main
    Security: allowlist
    Ask: always
    Expires in: 120s
    Reply with: /approve <id> allow-once|allow-always|deny

    🔒 Exec approval required
    ID: [some_id]
    Command: [command_asked]
    CWD: /home/node/.openclaw/workspace
    Host: gateway
    Agent: main
    Security: allowlist
    Ask: always
    Expires in: 120s
    Reply with: /approve <id> allow-once|allow-always|deny

Solution

Nice — that last test is exactly what we needed. You’re now definitely in the approval-gated path:

-

/exec

/exec

shows

host=gateway, security=allowlist, ask=always

host=gateway, security=allowlist, ask=always

- and the failure is:

Exec approval registration failed: gateway closed (1008): pairing required

That error isn’t “ask=always ignored” — it means the client that’s trying to register/handle exec approvals is not paired with the gateway for operator approval scopes.

Fix: approve the pending device pairing request

Run this on the gateway host (i.e. inside the same container/VM where the gateway owns

~/.openclaw

~/.openclaw

):

1) List pending requests:

openclaw devices list

openclaw devices list

Jump to solution

FotC�

Friends of the Crustacean 🦞🤝•3d ago•

29 replies

ShuYen57

tools.exec.ask: 'always' not working

✅Solved

The OpenClaw agent connected with Discord is executing shell commands directly without prompting for explicit user approval, despite the configuration being set to always require approval for

exec

exec

commands.

OpenClaw Version:
Current Version (Issue Present):

v2026.3.2

v2026.3.2

Previous Version (Working Correctly):

v2026.2.24

v2026.2.24

Relevant Configuration (from your OpenClaw settings):

approvals.exec.enabled: true

approvals.exec.enabled: true

tools.exec.ask: 'always'

tools.exec.ask: 'always'

channels.discord.execApprovals.enabled: true

channels.discord.execApprovals.enabled: true

Observed Behavior (Incorrect in v2026.3.2):
When asked to run

exec

exec

commands (e.g.,

mkdir

mkdir

rm

rm

cat

cat

touch

touch

), the agent executes them immediately without any approval prompt.
Example: A

touch test.txt

touch test.txt

command was executed directly without a prompt.

Expected Behavior (Working in v2026.2.24):
In the previous version (

v2026.2.24

v2026.2.24

) with the identical configuration, the system would issue a prompt similar to:

    🔒 Exec approval required
    ID: [some_id]
    Command: [command_asked]
    CWD: /home/node/.openclaw/workspace
    Host: gateway
    Agent: main
    Security: allowlist
    Ask: always
    Expires in: 120s
    Reply with: /approve <id> allow-once|allow-always|deny

    🔒 Exec approval required
    ID: [some_id]
    Command: [command_asked]
    CWD: /home/node/.openclaw/workspace
    Host: gateway
    Agent: main
    Security: allowlist
    Ask: always
    Expires in: 120s
    Reply with: /approve <id> allow-once|allow-always|deny

Solution

Nice — that last test is exactly what we needed. You’re now definitely in the approval-gated path:

-

/exec

/exec

shows

host=gateway, security=allowlist, ask=always

host=gateway, security=allowlist, ask=always

- and the failure is:

Exec approval registration failed: gateway closed (1008): pairing required

That error isn’t “ask=always ignored” — it means the client that’s trying to register/handle exec approvals is not paired with the gateway for operator approval scopes.

Fix: approve the pending device pairing request

Run this on the gateway host (i.e. inside the same container/VM where the gateway owns

~/.openclaw

~/.openclaw

):

1) List pending requests:

openclaw devices list

openclaw devices list

Jump to solution

tools.exec.ask: 'always' not working

Fix: approve the pending device pairing request

tools.exec.ask: 'always' not working

Fix: approve the pending device pairing request

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