[PR #841] [MERGED] fix(native): inspect plists containing data, dates, and non-finite reals #2279

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opened 2026-10-16 21:16:39 +00:00 by bsakaguchi · 0 comments

bsakaguchi commented

2026-10-16 21:16:39 +00:00

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📋 Pull Request Information

Original PR: https://github.com/morluto/rea/pull/841
Author: @kaoru0822-kitauji
Created: 10/7/2026
Status: ✅ Merged
Merged: 10/7/2026
Merged by: @kaoru0822-kitauji

Base: main ← Head: fix/plist-non-json-values

📝 Commits (1)

5ead2cf fix(native): inspect plists containing data, dates, and non-finite reals

📊 Changes

6 files changed (+260 additions, -56 deletions)

View changed files

📝 src/artifacts/KeyedArchiveReader.ts (+6 -21)
➕ src/domain/plistValue.test.ts (+40 -0)
➕ src/domain/plistValue.ts (+50 -0)
📝 src/native/NativeMacOSProvider.ts (+29 -11)
📝 src/native/parsers/plist.ts (+67 -24)
📝 tests/boundary/cli/nativePlistCli.test.ts (+68 -0)

📄 Description

Summary

inspect_plist (rea inspect-plist, MCP inspect_plist) converts every plist with plutil -convert json. Apple's JSON converter rejects any plist containing <data>, <date>, or a non-finite <real> (Invalid object in plist for JSON format), so REA fails with a cause-free error:

{ "code": "execution_failure", "details": { "provider_id": "native-macos", "operation": "inspect_plist" } }

These plists are valid and common. On this macOS host, 233 of 4,001 plists inside installed .app bundles fail JSON conversion. Among app Info.plists, /System/Applications/Stocks.app fails because of UIApplicationShortcutItems/0/UIApplicationShortcutItemUserInfo <data>, so rea inspect-plist /System/Applications/Stocks.app fails on main.

Fix

Run the JSON conversion with acceptNonZero. If it succeeds, nothing changes: the same value, provenance, and empty limitations.
If it exits nonzero, run plutil -convert xml1 -o - -- $PLIST, which is lossless for every plist type, and decode it with the existing plist dependency.
- <data> → { "$plist_type": "data", "base64": "…" } and <date> → { "$plist_type": "date", "iso8601": "…" }, matching the representation inspect_keyed_archive already returns.
- Non-finite <real> → { "$plist_type": "real", "value": null }, an explicit unknown. The plist package parses nan, +infinity, and -infinity all as NaN, so reporting a specific value would be a guess.
- limitations explains the XML decoding and counts unknown reals.
- provenance records the file classification, the failed JSON conversion (exit 1), and the XML conversion.
If the XML conversion also fails (for example, a malformed plist), the existing provider-failure path is unchanged.
The $plist_type projection moves from KeyedArchiveReader into src/domain/plistValue.ts and is shared. The keyed-archive reader still rejects non-finite reals as before; only the location of the code changed.

Contract / behavior changes

No schema or catalog changes: value is already jsonValueSchema, and the tool description ("Returns normalized JSON rather than plutil text") stays accurate.
Plists that used to fail now succeed. Output for plists that JSON can express is unchanged.

Verification

Real plutil CLI regression (tests/boundary/cli/nativePlistCli.test.ts, darwin-only like the existing cases): XML and binary plists containing <data>, <date>, and <real>nan</real> check value, bundle metadata, the three-step provenance, and limitations. Both fail on the original source and pass with the fix.
Domain unit test for projectPlistValue (typed values, unknown-real counting, rejection of non-plist values and excessive nesting).
Path-equivalence check against real plists on macOS (Darwin 25.6): 475 bundle plists were decoded through both paths with the built parsers. For all 469 that JSON can express, the XML path gives a deep-equal value and bundle. All 6 that JSON rejects decode through XML, and none fail.
rea inspect-plist /System/Applications/Stocks.app now succeeds (CFBundleIdentifier: com.apple.stocks).
npm run test:focused for nativePlistCli, nativeProvider, nativeTextRobustness, KeyedArchiveReader, and plistValue: 35 tests passed. npm run check:changed and npm run check:fast passed.

MCP uses the same NativeMacOSProvider path, so behavior is equivalent. I didn't run a separate stdio MCP session. No Hopper/Ghidra/IDA involvement.

Not in this PR

Integers beyond ±2^53 are still rounded in both decode paths. For example, <integer>18446744073709551615</integer> is reported as 18446744073709552000 with no limitation. Native plutil reports the exact value, so I'll handle that in a separate PR.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

_{🔄 This issue represents a GitHub Pull Request. It cannot be merged through Gitea due to API limitations.}

## 📋 Pull Request Information **Original PR:** https://github.com/morluto/rea/pull/841 **Author:** [@kaoru0822-kitauji](https://github.com/kaoru0822-kitauji) **Created:** 10/7/2026 **Status:** ✅ Merged **Merged:** 10/7/2026 **Merged by:** [@kaoru0822-kitauji](https://github.com/kaoru0822-kitauji) **Base:** `main` ← **Head:** `fix/plist-non-json-values` --- ### 📝 Commits (1) - [`5ead2cf`](https://github.com/morluto/rea/commit/5ead2cfbc47896b43502363d3568330f5d94762e) fix(native): inspect plists containing data, dates, and non-finite reals ### 📊 Changes **6 files changed** (+260 additions, -56 deletions) <details> <summary>View changed files</summary> 📝 `src/artifacts/KeyedArchiveReader.ts` (+6 -21) ➕ `src/domain/plistValue.test.ts` (+40 -0) ➕ `src/domain/plistValue.ts` (+50 -0) 📝 `src/native/NativeMacOSProvider.ts` (+29 -11) 📝 `src/native/parsers/plist.ts` (+67 -24) 📝 `tests/boundary/cli/nativePlistCli.test.ts` (+68 -0) </details> ### 📄 Description ## Summary `inspect_plist` (`rea inspect-plist`, MCP `inspect_plist`) converts every plist with `plutil -convert json`. Apple's JSON converter rejects any plist containing `<data>`, `<date>`, or a non-finite `<real>` (`Invalid object in plist for JSON format`), so REA fails with a cause-free error: ```json { "code": "execution_failure", "details": { "provider_id": "native-macos", "operation": "inspect_plist" } } ``` These plists are valid and common. On this macOS host, **233 of 4,001** plists inside installed `.app` bundles fail JSON conversion. Among app `Info.plist`s, `/System/Applications/Stocks.app` fails because of `UIApplicationShortcutItems/0/UIApplicationShortcutItemUserInfo` `<data>`, so `rea inspect-plist /System/Applications/Stocks.app` fails on `main`. ## Fix - Run the JSON conversion with `acceptNonZero`. If it succeeds, nothing changes: the same value, provenance, and empty limitations. - If it exits nonzero, run `plutil -convert xml1 -o - -- $PLIST`, which is lossless for every plist type, and decode it with the existing `plist` dependency. - `<data>` → `{ "$plist_type": "data", "base64": "…" }` and `<date>` → `{ "$plist_type": "date", "iso8601": "…" }`, matching the representation `inspect_keyed_archive` already returns. - Non-finite `<real>` → `{ "$plist_type": "real", "value": null }`, an explicit unknown. The `plist` package parses `nan`, `+infinity`, and `-infinity` all as `NaN`, so reporting a specific value would be a guess. - `limitations` explains the XML decoding and counts unknown reals. - `provenance` records the `file` classification, the **failed** JSON conversion (exit 1), and the XML conversion. - If the XML conversion also fails (for example, a malformed plist), the existing provider-failure path is unchanged. - The `$plist_type` projection moves from `KeyedArchiveReader` into `src/domain/plistValue.ts` and is shared. The keyed-archive reader still rejects non-finite reals as before; only the location of the code changed. ## Contract / behavior changes - No schema or catalog changes: `value` is already `jsonValueSchema`, and the tool description ("Returns normalized JSON rather than plutil text") stays accurate. - Plists that used to fail now succeed. Output for plists that JSON can express is unchanged. ## Verification - **Real `plutil` CLI regression** (`tests/boundary/cli/nativePlistCli.test.ts`, darwin-only like the existing cases): XML and binary plists containing `<data>`, `<date>`, and `<real>nan</real>` check value, bundle metadata, the three-step provenance, and limitations. **Both fail on the original source and pass with the fix.** - Domain unit test for `projectPlistValue` (typed values, unknown-real counting, rejection of non-plist values and excessive nesting). - Path-equivalence check against real plists on macOS (Darwin 25.6): 475 bundle plists were decoded through both paths with the built parsers. For all **469** that JSON can express, the XML path gives a **deep-equal** `value` and `bundle`. All 6 that JSON rejects decode through XML, and none fail. - `rea inspect-plist /System/Applications/Stocks.app` now succeeds (`CFBundleIdentifier: com.apple.stocks`). - `npm run test:focused` for `nativePlistCli`, `nativeProvider`, `nativeTextRobustness`, `KeyedArchiveReader`, and `plistValue`: 35 tests passed. `npm run check:changed` and `npm run check:fast` passed. MCP uses the same `NativeMacOSProvider` path, so behavior is equivalent. I didn't run a separate stdio MCP session. No Hopper/Ghidra/IDA involvement. ## Not in this PR Integers beyond ±2^53 are still rounded in both decode paths. For example, `<integer>18446744073709551615</integer>` is reported as `18446744073709552000` with no limitation. Native `plutil` reports the exact value, so I'll handle that in a separate PR. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) --- <sub>🔄 This issue represents a GitHub Pull Request. It cannot be merged through Gitea due to API limitations.</sub>

bsakaguchi

2026-10-16 21:16:39 +00:00