astrid-runtime/astrid · error

capsule cache path contains unsafe components

Error message

capsule cache path contains unsafe components

What it means

Static error emitted when a component of the cache-relative path is not a plain Normal component (e.g. ParentDir, CurDir, RootDir, Prefix). After stripping the cache root, every remaining component must be a normal name because they become owner/id/digest path segments.

Solutions

1. Inspect the registry snapshot owner/id/digest values and remove any '..' or '.' segments
2. Regenerate the cache target with published_cache_target instead of hand-building paths
3. Re-publish the capsule so the registry stores sanitized owner/id/digest values
4. Delete the tampered registry entry and reinstall from a trusted source

Example fix

// before (hand-built path)
let dir = cache_root.join(format!("{}/../{}/{}", owner, id, digest));
// after
let dir = published_cache_target(principal, manifest, snapshot)?;

fn all_normal_components(p: &Path) -> bool {
    p.components().all(|c| matches!(c, std::path::Component::Normal(_)))
}
if !all_normal_components(relative) { bail!("unsafe cache path components"); }

fn is_safe_cache_relative(p: &Path) -> bool {
    p.components().all(|c| matches!(c, std::path::Component::Normal(_)))
}

When it happens

Trigger: validate_published_cache_path's components().map(...) hits a non-Normal Component in the path relative to the cache root — typically '..' or '.' segments smuggled into owner/id/digest strings.

Common situations: Capsule id or digest fields in the registry snapshot contain '../' or '.' segments from a tampered or hand-edited store; path constructed with string concatenation instead of the resolver; case-sensitivity/mismatch producing odd relative paths.

Understand the failure class

Background: Path traversal blocked: "path escapes the workspace" and "outside site root" errors when a path will not stay inside its allowed directory — this error's family across 26 libraries.

Related errors

• capsule cache path is outside the durable registry cache
• capsule cache path is redirected
• cache changed to a redirect or special entry
• cache contains a redirect or special entry
• capsule cache owner or id does not match authenticated…

AI-assisted analysis of astrid-runtime/astrid@affd8760f4 (2026-09-09). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6a57ee1d1d6d4bc5. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at crates/astrid-kernel/src/lib.rs:1591

    #[cfg(not(all(target_arch = "wasm32", target_os = "unknown")))]
    fn validate_published_cache_path(
        &self,
        dir: &Path,
        principal: &PrincipalId,
        manifest: &astrid_capsule_types::manifest::CapsuleManifest,
        snapshot: &astrid_storage::CapsulePackageSnapshot,
    ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
        let cache_root = self.astrid_home.run_dir().join("capsules");
        let relative = dir.strip_prefix(&cache_root).map_err(|_| {
            anyhow::anyhow!("capsule cache path is outside the durable registry cache")
        })?;
        astrid_core::platform_fs::verify_no_redirects(dir)
            .map_err(|error| anyhow::anyhow!("capsule cache path is redirected: {error}"))?;
        let components: Vec<String> = relative
            .components()
            .map(|component| match component {
                std::path::Component::Normal(value) => Ok(value.to_string_lossy().into_owned()),
                _ => Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
                    "capsule cache path contains unsafe components"
                )),
            })
            .collect::<anyhow::Result<_>>()?;
        if components.len() != 3 {
            anyhow::bail!("capsule cache path does not contain owner/id/digest components");
        }
        let uid = self
            .principal_directory
            .uid_for(principal)
            .map_err(|error| anyhow::anyhow!("resolve capsule cache owner UID: {error}"))?;
        if components[0] != uid.to_string() || components[1] != manifest.package.name {
            anyhow::bail!("capsule cache owner or id does not match authenticated registry scope");
        }
        let digest = blake3::hash(&snapshot.package().archive)
            .to_hex()
            .to_string();
        if components[2] != digest {

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