Q107: a task approval covers the content it was given; edits need a fresh one

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

src/main/database/migrations/085-approval-subject-snapshot.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+// Existing task approvals are taken to cover the task as it stands now; from here on an edit needs a fresh one.
+export const approvalSubjectSnapshotSchema = `
+  alter table approvals add column subject_snapshot text;
+  update approvals set subject_snapshot = (
+    select json_object('title', t.title, 'description', t.description, 'assignee', t.assignee_agent_id, 'risk', t.risk, 'workspace', t.workspace_id, 'filesystem', t.requires_filesystem)
+    from tasks t where t.id = approvals.source_entity_id
+  )
+  where source_entity_type = 'task' and kind in ('task_risk', 'task_execution');
+
+  insert into schema_migrations(version, name, applied_at)
+  values (85, 'approval_subject_snapshot', datetime('now'));
+`;

src/main/database/schema.ts

@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ import { connectorExecutionsSchema } from "./migrations/081-connector-executions
 import { connectorPendingAccountSchema } from "./migrations/082-connector-pending-account";
 import { connectorAccountLabelsSchema } from "./migrations/083-connector-account-labels";
 import { connectorGrantLimitsSchema } from "./migrations/084-connector-grant-limits";
+import { approvalSubjectSnapshotSchema } from "./migrations/085-approval-subject-snapshot";
 
 interface Migration {
   version: number;
@@ -175,6 +176,7 @@ const MIGRATIONS: Migration[] = [
   { version: 82, name: "connector_pending_account", sql: connectorPendingAccountSchema },
   { version: 83, name: "connector_account_labels", sql: connectorAccountLabelsSchema },
   { version: 84, name: "connector_grant_limits", sql: connectorGrantLimitsSchema },
+  { version: 85, name: "approval_subject_snapshot", sql: approvalSubjectSnapshotSchema },
 ];
 
 const SCHEMA_VERSION = MIGRATIONS[MIGRATIONS.length - 1].version;

src/main/services/organization-service.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import type { DatabaseSync } from "node:sqlite";
-import { APPROVAL_STATE, RISK_LEVEL, TASK_STATUS, WRITING_MODE } from "../../shared/domain";
+import { APPROVAL_STATE, RISK_LEVEL, TASK_STATUS, WRITING_MODE, type RiskLevel } from "../../shared/domain";
 import { createId } from "../../shared/ids";
 import type { CreateAgentInput, CreateGoalInput, CreateOrganizationInput, CreateProjectInput, CreateTaskInput, CreateWorkspaceInput, DeleteTaskInput, UpdateAgentInput, UpdateEmployeeProfileInput, UpdateTaskInput } from "../../shared/commands";
 import { AuditService } from "./audit-service";
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { TaskMutations } from "./task-mutations";
 import { normalizeAvatarColor, normalizeAvatarImage } from "./avatar-values";
 import { approvalDecision, autonomy } from "./org-approvals";
 import { admitAgent } from "./agent-admission";
+import { TASK_APPROVAL_KINDS_SQL, TASK_SNAPSHOT_SQL } from "./task-approval";
 
 export class OrganizationService {
   private readonly audit: AuditService;
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ export class OrganizationService {
     this.audit = new AuditService(db);
     this.policy = new PolicyService(db);
     this.governance = new OrgGovernanceService(db);
-    this.tasks = new TaskMutations(db, (input) => this.createTask(input));
+    this.tasks = new TaskMutations(db, (input) => this.createTask(input), (orgId, taskId) => this.requestTaskApproval(orgId, taskId));
   }
 
   createOrganization(input: CreateOrganizationInput): string {
@@ -262,35 +263,7 @@ export class OrganizationService {
       now,
     );
     const policy = this.policy.evaluateTaskCreation(input.orgId, input.risk);
-    const approvalRequired = policy.approvalRequired || input.requiresFilesystem;
-    if (approvalRequired) {
-      const approvalId = createId("app");
-      const approvalKind = policy.approvalRequired ? "task_risk" : "task_execution";
-      const autoApprove = autonomy(this.db, input.orgId).executionMode === "ai_ceo";
-      const decision = approvalDecision(this.db, input.orgId, autoApprove, now);
-      this.db.prepare(`
-        insert into approvals(
-          id, org_id, kind, title, details, risk, requested_by_type,
-          requested_by_id, source_entity_type, source_entity_id, state, decided_by_employee_id, created_at, decided_at
-        ) values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
-      `).run(
-        approvalId,
-        input.orgId,
-        approvalKind,
-        input.title.trim(),
-        input.description.trim(),
-        RISK_LEVEL.HIGH,
-        "system",
-        null,
-        "task",
-        id,
-        decision.state,
-        decision.decidedBy,
-        now,
-        decision.decidedAt,
-      );
-      this.settleApproval(input.orgId, approvalId, approvalKind, RISK_LEVEL.HIGH, autoApprove);
-    }
+    this.requestTaskApproval(input.orgId, id);
     this.audit.record({
       orgId: input.orgId,
       entityType: "task",
@@ -303,6 +276,37 @@ export class OrganizationService {
     return id;
   }
 
+  /** Asks for approval of a task's current content when policy or file access needs it and no review already covers that content. */
+  requestTaskApproval(orgId: string, taskId: string): void {
+    const task = this.db.prepare(`select t.title, t.description, t.risk, t.requires_filesystem, ${TASK_SNAPSHOT_SQL} as snapshot from tasks t where t.id = ? and t.org_id = ?`)
+      .get(taskId, orgId) as { title: string; description: string; risk: RiskLevel; requires_filesystem: number; snapshot: string };
+    const policy = this.policy.evaluateTaskCreation(orgId, task.risk);
+    if (!policy.approvalRequired && task.requires_filesystem !== 1) return;
+    const latest = this.db.prepare(`
+      select subject_snapshot from approvals
+      where org_id = ? and source_entity_type = 'task' and source_entity_id = ? and kind in ${TASK_APPROVAL_KINDS_SQL}
+      order by rowid desc limit 1
+    `).get(orgId, taskId) as { subject_snapshot: string | null } | undefined;
+    if (latest?.subject_snapshot === task.snapshot) return;
+    const superseded = this.db.prepare(`
+      update approvals set state = ? where org_id = ? and source_entity_type = 'task' and source_entity_id = ? and kind in ${TASK_APPROVAL_KINDS_SQL} and state = ?
+    `).run(APPROVAL_STATE.SUPERSEDED, orgId, taskId, APPROVAL_STATE.PENDING);
+    if (superseded.changes > 0) console.info(`[approvals] task ${taskId} changed; its pending review was superseded`);
+    const now = new Date().toISOString();
+    const approvalId = createId("app");
+    const approvalKind = policy.approvalRequired ? "task_risk" : "task_execution";
+    const autoApprove = autonomy(this.db, orgId).executionMode === "ai_ceo";
+    const decision = approvalDecision(this.db, orgId, autoApprove, now);
+    this.db.prepare(`
+      insert into approvals(
+        id, org_id, kind, title, details, risk, requested_by_type, requested_by_id, source_entity_type, source_entity_id,
+        state, decided_by_employee_id, created_at, decided_at, subject_snapshot
+      ) values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
+    `).run(approvalId, orgId, approvalKind, task.title, task.description, RISK_LEVEL.HIGH, "system", null, "task", taskId,
+      decision.state, decision.decidedBy, now, decision.decidedAt, task.snapshot);
+    this.settleApproval(orgId, approvalId, approvalKind, RISK_LEVEL.HIGH, autoApprove);
+  }
+
   /** Routes a pending approval to its decider, or records the auto-approval in the audit trail. */
   private settleApproval(orgId: string, approvalId: string, kind: string, risk: typeof RISK_LEVEL[keyof typeof RISK_LEVEL], autoApproved: boolean): void {
     if (!autoApproved) {

src/main/services/task-approval.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+/** The task content an approval covers, as SQL over a `tasks t` row; one expression for recording and checking keeps them comparable. */
+export const TASK_SNAPSHOT_SQL = "json_object('title', t.title, 'description', t.description, 'assignee', t.assignee_agent_id, 'risk', t.risk, 'workspace', t.workspace_id, 'filesystem', t.requires_filesystem)";
+
+export const TASK_APPROVAL_KINDS_SQL = "('task_risk', 'task_execution')";

src/main/services/task-mutations.ts

@@ -23,7 +23,12 @@ interface TaskRow {
 export class TaskMutations {
   private readonly audit: AuditService;
 
-  constructor(private readonly db: DatabaseSync, private readonly createTask: (input: CreateTaskInput) => string) {
+  constructor(
+    private readonly db: DatabaseSync,
+    private readonly createTask: (input: CreateTaskInput) => string,
+    /** Asks for a fresh approval when an edit changed content an approval covered. */
+    private readonly requestApproval: (orgId: string, taskId: string) => void,
+  ) {
     this.audit = new AuditService(db);
   }
 
@@ -48,6 +53,7 @@ export class TaskMutations {
       where id = ? and org_id = ?
     `).run(input.title.trim(), input.description.trim(), input.assigneeAgentId, input.risk, input.priority, input.parentTaskId, now, input.taskId, input.orgId);
     if (result.changes === 0) throw new Error("Task was not found.");
+    this.requestApproval(input.orgId, input.taskId);
     this.audit.record({
       orgId: input.orgId,
       entityType: "task",

src/main/services/task-run-preparation.ts

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { TASK_APPROVAL_KINDS_SQL, TASK_SNAPSHOT_SQL } from "./task-approval";
 import type { DatabaseSync } from "node:sqlite";
 import { APPROVAL_STATE, RISK_LEVEL } from "../../shared/domain";
 import { createId } from "../../shared/ids";
@@ -11,11 +12,6 @@ import type {
   WorkspaceRow,
 } from "./task-prompts";
 
-interface TaskApprovalRow {
-  id: string;
-  state: string;
-}
-
 export function requireTask(db: DatabaseSync, orgId: string, taskId: string): TaskExecutionTaskRow {
   const task = db.prepare("select * from tasks where id = ? and org_id = ?").get(taskId, orgId) as TaskExecutionTaskRow | undefined;
   if (!task) throw new Error("Task was not found.");
@@ -45,16 +41,14 @@ export function assertExecutionApproval(db: DatabaseSync, orgId: string, task: T
 export function executionApprovalProblem(db: DatabaseSync, orgId: string, task: TaskExecutionTaskRow): string | null {
   if (task.risk !== RISK_LEVEL.HIGH && task.requires_filesystem !== 1) return null;
   const approval = db.prepare(`
-    select id, state
-    from approvals
-    where org_id = ?
-      and source_entity_type = 'task'
-      and source_entity_id = ?
-      and kind in ('task_risk', 'task_execution')
-    order by created_at desc
+    select a.state, a.subject_snapshot = (select ${TASK_SNAPSHOT_SQL} from tasks t where t.id = a.source_entity_id) as covers_current
+    from approvals a
+    where a.org_id = ? and a.source_entity_type = 'task' and a.source_entity_id = ? and a.kind in ${TASK_APPROVAL_KINDS_SQL}
+    order by a.rowid desc
     limit 1
-  `).get(orgId, task.id) as TaskApprovalRow | undefined;
+  `).get(orgId, task.id) as { state: string; covers_current: number | null } | undefined;
   if (!approval || approval.state !== APPROVAL_STATE.APPROVED) return "Approved task execution approval is required.";
+  if (approval.covers_current !== 1) return "The task changed after it was approved; the changed task needs a fresh approval.";
   return null;
 }