[mnriem]

Description

Resolve uv and pipx installers from absolute PATH directories outside the current working directory and Git worktree. Use the same lookup for registry detection and self-upgrades, bypassing Windows' implicit current-directory search while preserving eligible PATH ordering and PATHEXT handling.

Add regression coverage for unsafe search paths, symlinked directories, absolute installer execution, missing-installer errors, and normal user-local installations.

Testing

• Tested locally with uv run specify --help
• Ran existing tests with uv sync && uv run pytest
• Tested with a sample project (if applicable)

The full suite used the documented worktree-local interpreter instead of the generic command above:

• uv sync --extra test --quiet — passed.
• LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 .venv/bin/python -m pytest tests -q — passed: 13,702 passed, 130 skipped.
• LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 .venv/bin/python -m pytest tests/specify_cli/test_version_*.py tests/specify_cli/selfs tests/specify_cli/test_root_version_callback.py -q --tb=short — passed: 212 passed, 1 skipped.
• uv run specify --help — passed.

Run on macOS; native Windows validation was not performed. Sample-project testing is not applicable because this change does not affect scaffolding or generated project assets.

AI Disclosure

• I did not use AI assistance for this contribution
• I did use AI assistance (fill in the disclosure below)

AI disclosure: GitHub Copilot using GPT-6.1 Sol in autonomous mode generated the implementation, tests, commit message, and pull request body, and ran validation. The initial alert assessment used a security-review subagent whose model was not reported by the runtime. No documentation changes are included.

[Copilot]

🟡 Changes recommended

Critical symlink bypasses in executable lookup allow registry detection and self-upgrade to execute project-controlled code despite worktree exclusions.

2 open issues

• Reject aliased PATH entries resolving into the worktree · New
• Reject PATH symlinks into the worktree · New

What changed in this PR

This PR centralizes installer lookup for Specify CLI’s registry detection and self-upgrade workflow to reduce execution of project-controlled uv and pipx binaries.

Changes:

• Filters installer searches to eligible absolute PATH directories, preserving ordering and Windows PATHEXT handling.
• Shares lookup between registry probes and upgrade commands.
• Adds regression coverage for unsafe paths, symlinks, absolute execution, and missing installers.

AI-assisted review for the requester: GitHub Copilot; model unknown; autonomous analysis, suggested fixes, and summary.

File	Description
tests/​specify_cli/​test_version_execution.py	Updates execution-test mocking to use the shared installer lookup.
tests/​specify_cli/​test_version_detection.py	Adds lookup security regressions and adapts existing mocks.
src/​specify_cli/​_version.py	Adds filtered installer discovery and uses it for detection and upgrades.

_{Review effort: Max (auto)}

[mnriem]

Addressed both findings in ee20e70: installer lookup now checks directory ancestors and intermediate symlink targets, rejects executables resolving into the working directory or Git worktree, and executes the validated absolute target. Lookup mocks now return absolute installer paths, with regression coverage for alias, file, and combined symlink bypasses across lookup, registry detection, and upgrades. LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 .venv/bin/python -m pytest tests -q -n 2 passed: 13,756 passed, 130 skipped. Validation ran on macOS; native Windows validation was not performed. Posted on behalf of @mnriem by GitHub Copilot (GPT-6.1 Sol, autonomous mode), which authored the implementation, tests, and this summary and ran validation.

[Copilot]

🟡 Changes recommended

Critical symlink, junction, and platform-specific path-comparison bypasses still allow project- or CWD-controlled paths to influence installer selection.

6 open issues

• Reject CWD-controlled links without a Git ancestor · New
• Normalize Windows paths for containment and link checks · New
• Use filesystem identity for case-insensitive path checks · New
• Inspect Windows junctions and other reparse points · New
• Skip failing PATH entries instead of aborting lookup · New
• Execute selected PATH spelling instead of resolved symlink target · New

2 resolved since last review

• Reject PATH symlinks into the worktree
• Reject aliased PATH entries resolving into the worktree

_{Review effort: Max (auto)}

[mnriem]

Addressed this review in cd1e7d2 and b98bc93. Installer lookup now inspects intermediate executable links even without a Git root, uses filesystem identities for CWD and worktree boundaries, recognizes equivalent Windows namespace spellings, rejects unsupported reparse points including junctions, warns and continues after per-entry inspection failures, and executes the selected absolute shim spelling rather than its dispatcher target. Added regressions for CWD link chains, case-insensitive aliases, inspection failures, differently named dispatchers, and native Windows namespace/junction paths. The focused local tests passed: 489 passed, 66 skipped. CI has passed on Linux and macOS with Python 3.13/3.14 and Windows with Python 3.14; Windows Python 3.13 is still running. Posted on behalf of @mnriem by GitHub Copilot (GPT-6.1 Sol, autonomous mode), which authored the implementation, tests, and this summary and ran validation.

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Installer validation still permits working-directory-controlled symlink chains and project-controlled Windows junctions, while returning resolved targets breaks symlink-based dispatch.

No open issues 🎉

3 previously missed issues

In code that hasn't changed since last review

Detect Windows junctions in installer symlink validation

src/​specify_cli/​_version.py:502

Windows junctions are not detected by is_symlink(), so a chain such as C:\alias -> C:\project\bin -> C:\external passes these checks despite traversing a project-controlled junction. Registry probes and upgrades can therefore use an installer selected through the worktree. Inspect junction targets or reject non-symlink reparse points as src/specify_cli/file_helper.py:79-88 does, and add a native Windows regression.

Validate intermediate symlinks without a Git ancestor

src/​specify_cli/​_version.py:508

Without a Git ancestor, this early return accepts an external bin/uv -> $PWD/uv -> /outside/uv chain because only the endpoint parents are checked. The working directory therefore still controls installer selection. Traverse intermediate symlinks even without a worktree and reject links located directly in cwd, while preserving allowed user-local descendant directories; add regressions for both installers.

Return the validated entrypoint for symlink dispatch

src/​specify_cli/​_version.py:545

Returning the resolved target changes the executable name for symlink-based dispatchers, so a valid bin/uv -> dispatcher runs in the wrong mode and breaks registry detection and self-upgrade. Return the validated absolute entrypoint instead, and update the external-file-symlink test to check dispatch behavior rather than require the target path.

6 resolved since last review

• Inspect Windows junctions and other reparse points
• Use filesystem identity for case-insensitive path checks
• Normalize Windows paths for containment and link checks
• Reject CWD-controlled links without a Git ancestor
• Execute selected PATH spelling instead of resolved symlink target
• Skip failing PATH entries instead of aborting lookup

_{Review effort: Max (auto)}

[Copilot]

🟡 Changes recommended

Installer resolution still allows CWD-controlled directory-symlink chains to override trusted installers when no Git ancestor exists, while blanket junction rejection also blocks legitimate Windows installations.

1 open issue

• Allow safe external Windows junctions in installer paths · New

_{Review effort: Max (auto)}

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Installer discovery can reject valid symlinked installations, crash from a deleted working directory, or select the wrong Windows executable, requiring human assessment.

No open issues 🎉

1 resolved since last review

• Allow safe external Windows junctions in installer paths

_{Review effort: Max (auto)}

[mnriem]

Addressed in 1951d9f. Supported external directory junctions now receive target and ancestry validation instead of blanket rejection, preserving installer paths such as current\Scripts for lookup, registry detection, and upgrades. Unsupported reparse types, worktree crossings, and CWD-controlled intermediate file or directory links remain excluded. Added portable and native Windows acceptance/rejection regressions, including directory-link chains outside Git projects. The focused local tests passed: 509 passed, 76 skipped. Native Windows CI for this commit is pending. Posted on behalf of @mnriem by GitHub Copilot (GPT-6.1 Sol, autonomous mode), which authored the implementation, tests, and this summary and ran validation.

[Copilot]

🟡 Changes recommended

Installer discovery can reject legitimate symlinked installations, let non-executable PATH entries block valid matches, and select the wrong Windows executable, while relative-symlink trust checks lack test coverage.

4 open issues

• Preserve valid installers behind external directory symlinks · New
• Add relative symlink acceptance and rejection fixtures · New
• Only reject executable installer candidates · New
• Avoid double PATHEXT expansion during installer lookup · New

_{Review effort: Max (auto)}

[mnriem]

Relative targets are now exercised by test_relative_installer_links_preserve_trust_boundaries: an external ../venvs/... target is accepted, while relative chains entering the CWD or Git worktree are rejected. The home-directory fixtures also combine relative directory and installer targets, including ../Cellar/.... The native Windows run executed all six boundary cases and all 24 home-directory cases without skips. If you had another relative-target layout in mind, could you point to it? AI-assisted reply on behalf of @mnriem: GitHub Copilot (GPT-6.1 Sol, autonomous mode); analysis, test changes, and this reply.

[mnriem]

Addressed all four findings in 2c09108, with Windows parent-component handling corrected in 520e072. Explicitly configured external directory links and relative installer links remain usable from a non-Git home directory, while indirect CWD and Git-worktree crossings remain blocked. Relative PATH entries now produce rejections only for executable files and retain their original spelling in diagnostics. Windows lookup expands PATHEXT once, with separate handling for Python 3.11's absolute-command behavior. Added relative-link acceptance/rejection fixtures, a portable regression for Windows metadata around .., and native Windows competing-suffix tests that use real shutil.which() calls. Focused local validation passed: 625 passed, 82 skipped; native Windows CI for the follow-up commit is pending. Posted on behalf of @mnriem by GitHub Copilot (GPT-6.1 Sol, autonomous mode), which authored the implementation, tests, and this summary and ran validation.

[Copilot]

🟡 Changes recommended

Unnormalized relative link targets on Windows can resolve against the wrong parent, rejecting legitimate installations and blocking detection and upgrades.

2 open issues

• Normalize relative Windows paths before walking link targets · New
• Add relative symlink acceptance and rejection fixtures

3 resolved since last review

• Avoid double PATHEXT expansion during installer lookup
• Only reject executable installer candidates
• Preserve valid installers behind external directory symlinks

_{Review effort: Max (auto)}

[Copilot]

🟡 Changes recommended

On Windows, installer discovery under Python 3.12+ can skip safe PATHEXT candidates after rejecting an unsafe match, and a symlink test uses non-native separators that make the link untraversable.

3 open issues

• Use native separators for Windows symlink targets · New
• Normalize relative Windows paths before walking link targets
• Add relative symlink acceptance and rejection fixtures

_{Review effort: Max (auto)}

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Human assessment is needed because installer lookup tests still depend on the host’s real PATH, making failures and warnings environment-dependent.

2 open issues

• Normalize relative Windows paths before walking link targets
• Add relative symlink acceptance and rejection fixtures

1 resolved since last review

• Use native separators for Windows symlink targets

_{Review effort: Max (auto)}

[mnriem]

Addressed the host-PATH dependency in 995075c. Installer tests now start with a test-owned PATH and deterministic Windows lookup settings; installer fixtures explicitly select their own binary directory. Added checks for both fixture contracts. The five affected modules passed with an empty inherited PATH and with malformed inherited PATH entries: 408 passed, 29 skipped in each environment. The broader focused suite passed: 627 passed, 82 skipped. No production lookup behavior changed. Posted on behalf of @mnriem by GitHub Copilot (GPT-6.1 Sol, autonomous mode), which authored the test changes and this summary and ran validation.

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Human assessment is needed because home-level dotfiles repositories can be mistaken for project roots, incorrectly blocking supported uv/pipx self-upgrades.

1 open issue

• Add relative symlink acceptance and rejection fixtures

1 resolved since last review

• Normalize relative Windows paths before walking link targets

_{Review effort: Max (auto)}