Description

Summary

Slack Socket Mode channel never initializes in the sandbox. The openclaw.json contains a complete Slack configuration with "botToken": "openshell:resolve:env:SLACK_BOT_TOKEN", and the OpenShell provider is registered with a valid credential. However, the Slack SDK validates the token format in-process (expects xoxb- prefix) before making any HTTP request. Since the sandbox environment variable contains the placeholder string (by design), the SDK rejects it and OpenClaw silently skips Slack initialization — no [slack] log line is ever emitted.

Root cause

OpenShell's security model intentionally keeps real secrets out of sandbox process memory:

"Child processes only see placeholder values in their environment; the proxy rewrites them to real secrets immediately before forwarding upstream."

This works for Telegram (HTTP polling — token appears in URL path /bot{TOKEN}/getUpdates, rewritten at proxy layer). It does not work for Slack because:

1. Sandbox env: SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=openshell:resolve:env:SLACK_BOT_TOKEN
2. OpenClaw reads env var or openclaw.json botToken field
3. Slack SDK validates token format in-process (checks xoxb- prefix)
4. Placeholder doesn't match → SDK skips Slack initialization
5. No HTTP request is ever made → proxy never gets a chance to replace the placeholder

Evidence

From inside sandbox:$ env | grep SLACK
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=openshell:resolve:env:SLACK_BOT_TOKEN
$ grep -i slack /tmp/gateway.log
(only config migration line — zero [slack] initialization or connection attempts)
$ node -e "const c=require('/sandbox/.openclaw/openclaw.json'); console.log(c.channels.slack.accounts.main.botToken)"
openshell:resolve:env:SLACK_BOT_TOKEN

Meanwhile, Telegram works because its token flows through an HTTP URL path that the L7 proxy can rewrite:L7_REQUEST l7_target=/botopenshell:resolve:env:TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN/getMe
→ proxy rewrites to /bot/getMe
→ Telegram API returns 200

Suggested fix

Provide an opt-in mechanism for specific environment variables to be injected with real secret values instead of placeholders, for SDKs that require in-process token validation before making network calls. For example:

• A provider flag like --inject-env that tells OpenShell to pass the real value to the sandbox process
• Or a sandbox-level config that lists env vars requiring real injection
• With appropriate documentation of the security trade-off (real secret visible in process memory)

Environment

• NemoClaw v0.0.7
• OpenShell 0.0.23
• OpenClaw 2026.3.11
• Node.js 22.22.1

Bug Details

[NVB# 6056223]

[NVB#6056223]