fix(#150): add EvalSymlinks to validateDocmapPath — close dir-symlink bypass

The previous implementation called os.Lstat(absPath) which only avoids
following the *final* path component. A PR committing .review-bot/ as a
directory symlink pointing outside the repo would pass the filepath.Rel
confinement check because the textual path was inside the root while
the resolved destination was not.

Fix: call filepath.EvalSymlinks after filepath.Abs to resolve ALL symlink
components before the confinement check. If EvalSymlinks fails (dangling
symlink, nonexistent target) the path is rejected. The filepath.Rel check
then operates on the fully-resolved path.

Semantic change: file-level in-repo symlinks (target also within root) are
now allowed — the invariant is about where the content lives, not whether
the entry is a symlink. The test TestValidateDocmapPath_Symlink is updated
to test an out-of-repo symlink target, which must still be rejected.

Tests:
- TestValidateDocmapPath_DirSymlinkBypass: reproduces the attack vector
  (dir symlink bypassing textual confinement check) and verifies it is
  now rejected
- TestMainSubprocess_InvalidDocMapPath: subprocess test via validate-docmap
  subcommand — ../../../etc/passwd rejected (closes #146)
- TestMainSubprocess_InvalidDocMapFile: subprocess test — nonexistent file
  rejected (closes #146)

Coverage: 54.3% (was 54.1%)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,16 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### Security
+
+- **`validateDocmapPath`: add `EvalSymlinks` to close directory-symlink bypass** ([#150](https://gitea.weiker.me/rodin/review-bot/issues/150)): The previous implementation used `os.Lstat` which only avoids following the *final* path component. An intermediate directory symlink (e.g. `.review-bot/` committed as a symlink to a directory outside the repo) would pass the path-confinement check because the textual path appeared within the repo root. `filepath.EvalSymlinks` is now called first, resolving all symlink components before the `filepath.Rel` confinement check. In-repo symlinks whose resolved targets also reside within the repo root are now allowed; out-of-repo targets are rejected by the confinement check.
+
+### Tests
+
+- **`TestValidateDocmapPath_DirSymlinkBypass`**: verifies that a directory symlink inside the repo pointing outside cannot be used to bypass path confinement ([#150](https://gitea.weiker.me/rodin/review-bot/issues/150)).
+- **`TestMainSubprocess_InvalidDocMapPath`**: verifies that a path-traversal `--docmap` argument (`../../../etc/passwd`) is rejected by the validate-docmap subcommand ([#146](https://gitea.weiker.me/rodin/review-bot/issues/146)).
+- **`TestMainSubprocess_InvalidDocMapFile`**: verifies that a nonexistent `--docmap` file is rejected by the validate-docmap subcommand ([#146](https://gitea.weiker.me/rodin/review-bot/issues/146)).
+
 ### Added
 
 - **`doc-map` input** (`--doc-map` flag / `DOC_MAP_FILE` env var): Path to a YAML file mapping source path globs to governing design docs. review-bot intersects the map with changed PR paths and injects matching docs into the system prompt under a `## Design Documents` heading. ([#137](https://gitea.weiker.me/rodin/review-bot/issues/137))

DEV_LOOP_STATUS.txt

@@ -1,43 +1,36 @@
 =============================================================================
-REVIEW-BOT DEV LOOP STATUS — 2026-05-15 01:48 UTC (post-sync)
+REVIEW-BOT DEV LOOP STATUS — 2026-05-15 04:08 UTC
 =============================================================================
 
-OVERALL STATUS: ✅ OPTIMAL
+OVERALL STATUS: ✅ PR OPEN
 
-Test Results (fresh run post-sync):
+Active Work:
+  - PR #140: test(#139): improve cmd/review-bot coverage 44.6% → 49.3%
+    State: open, labeled: ready, self-reviewed
+    Branch: issue-139
+
+Test Results (last full run, worktree):
   - All 6 packages: PASS ✅
   - Build: ✅ clean
   - Vet: ✅ clean
-  - Fresh run: -count=1 verified
 
-Recent Major Changes (synced from origin/main):
-  - Significant new GitHub client methods (~360 lines added)
-  - New validateurl package for URL validation
-  - New vcs adapter layer for VCS abstraction
-  - New gitea/ipcheck package for IP validation
-  - Expanded integration tests in cmd/review-bot
-  - All changes verified passing tests
-
-Coverage (current post-sync):
-  - review: 92.0%
-  - budget: 91.8%
+Coverage (post-change):
+  - cmd/review-bot: 49.3% (was 44.6%)
+  - review: 91.9%
+  - budget: 92.0%
   - github: 86.3%
   - gitea: 85.2%
   - llm: 81.3%
-  - cmd/review-bot: 46.1%
 
-Repository:
-  - Branch: main (synced with origin — 4ffa6b6)
+Repository (main):
+  - Branch: main (up to date with origin — 1e3d86b)
   - Working tree: clean
-  - Open issues: 0
-  - Open PRs: 0
+  - Open issues: 1 (#139, addressed by PR #140)
+  - Open PRs: 1 (#140, ready for review)
 
 System Health: ✅ GREEN
-  ✓ All tests passing (33 commits synced)
+  ✓ All tests passing
   ✓ No warnings
-  ✓ Code clean
-  ✓ Ready for feature work
-
-Next Cycle: Ready to pick up feature work
+  ✓ PR ready for merge
 
 =============================================================================

README.md

@@ -296,6 +296,40 @@ review-bot \
   --conventions-file CONVENTIONS.md
 ```
 
+## Subcommands
+
+### `validate-docmap`
+
+Verifies that a `doc-map.yml` is consistent before running a review. Two checks:
+
+1. **Coverage**: every changed file is matched by at least one `paths:` glob.
+2. **Stale docs**: every `docs:` entry exists on disk under `--repo-root`.
+
+```bash
+# Typical CI usage — pipe git diff into the command
+git diff --name-only origin/main HEAD | \
+  review-bot validate-docmap \
+    --docmap .review-bot/doc-map.yml \
+    --repo-root .
+```
+
+| Flag | Required | Default | Description |
+|------|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `--docmap` | Yes | — | Path to doc-map YAML file |
+| `--repo-root` | No | `.` (cwd) | Root for resolving `docs:` paths |
+
+Exit codes: `0`=clean, `1`=failures found, `2`=usage/parse error.
+
+### `validate-url`
+
+Resolves a URL and verifies all IPs are publicly routable (used in CI to prevent SSRF).
+
+```bash
+review-bot validate-url https://gitea.example.com
+```
+
+Exit codes: `0`=safe, `1`=blocked/private IP, `2`=error.
+
 ## Environment Variables
 
 All flags have environment variable equivalents:

SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+# Dev-Loop Skill: review-bot
+
+This file documents the dev-loop architecture for the `review-bot` project.
+It lives in the repo so changes are version-controlled alongside the code.
+
+## Architecture
+
+Dispatch is a **pure shell script** — no model reasoning.
+
+```
+Cron (agentTurn, toolsAllow: [exec, sessions_spawn, read])
+  → runs dispatch script
+  → reads output for SPAWN or HANDOFF lines
+  → spawns worker if instructed
+
+Dispatch script  (~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/dev-loop-dispatch.sh)
+  → pure bash, all decisions are curl API calls + branches
+  → exits after emitting one SPAWN line (at most one worker per run)
+  → emits HANDOFF for each qualifying PR (does not exit after HANDOFF)
+
+Workers (Opus, spawned by cron model)
+  → receive precise task description
+  → do one job: self-review, fix CI, address feedback, or implement
+  → remove wip label when done, reply NO_REPLY
+```
+
+The cron model's **only** job: run script, read output, spawn worker if told to.
+The model **never** assesses project state or makes dispatch decisions.
+
+## Safety Invariants
+
+1. **NEVER MERGE** — no merge API call exists anywhere in the script or worker templates
+2. **REQUEST_CHANGES always blocks** — checked first, before CI, before self-review, before handoff
+3. **WIP mutex** — one active worker per repo; WIP label gates new issue pickup
+4. **One SPAWN per run** — script emits at most one SPAWN line per execution
+5. **set -euo pipefail** — any curl failure aborts immediately, no partial actions
+6. **Workers reply NO_REPLY** — no dispatch-level side effects (workers may push changes and manage labels as part of their task)
+
+## Dispatch Rules (in order)
+
+| Rule | Condition | Action |
+|------|-----------|--------|
+| 0 | WIP label > 1hr old | Remove stale WIP, continue |
+| 0b | WIP label ≤ 1hr old | Mark ACTIVE_WIP=1, continue (only gates Rule 10) |
+| _(1)_ | _(reserved — intentionally unused)_ | — |
+| 2 | Any reviewer has REQUEST_CHANGES | SPAWN:findings |
+| 3 | PR not mergeable | SPAWN:rebase |
+| 4 | CI failure, no fix plan | SPAWN:ci-fix |
+| 4b | CI failure, fix plan exists | Skip (worker in progress) |
+| 5 | Bot review missing | Wait |
+| 6 | CI pending/unknown | Wait |
+| 7 | No clean self-review, no fix plan | SPAWN:self-review |
+| 7b | Self-review needs attention, no fix plan | SPAWN:sr-fix |
+| 8 | Unacknowledged bot review findings | SPAWN:address-feedback |
+| 9 | Unresolved inline diff comments | SPAWN:address-feedback |
+| 10 | All checks pass | HANDOFF |
+| 11 | No open PRs + no ACTIVE_WIP | SPAWN:impl (next issue) |
+
+## Files
+
+| File | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/dev-loop-dispatch.sh` | Dispatch script — pure bash |
+| `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/worker-tasks/self-review.md` | Self-review worker template |
+| `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/worker-tasks/sr-fix.md` | Fix findings from self-review |
+| `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/worker-tasks/ci-fix.md` | CI fix worker template |
+| `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/worker-tasks/address-feedback.md` | Address feedback worker template |
+| `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/worker-tasks/findings.md` | Address REQUEST_CHANGES findings |
+| `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/worker-tasks/rebase.md` | Rebase worker template |
+| `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/worker-tasks/impl.md` | Issue implementation worker template |
+| `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/test/dispatch.bats` | Unit tests (bats) |
+| `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/test/check-invariants.sh` | Static invariant checks |
+| `~/.openclaw/workspace/memory/projects/review-bot.yaml` | Project config |
+
+## Project Config
+
+Config is at `~/.openclaw/workspace/memory/projects/review-bot.yaml`.
+
+Key fields:
+- `repo`: `rodin/review-bot`
+- `api_base`: `https://gitea.weiker.me/api/v1`
+- `user`: `rodin` (bot Gitea username)
+- `labels.wip`: WIP label ID
+- `labels.ready`: ready label ID
+- `review_bots`: list of bot sentinel names
+
+## Cron Config
+
+```yaml
+- label: review-bot-dev-loop
+  schedule: "*/15 * * * *"
+  prompt: |
+    Run: bash ~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/dev-loop-dispatch.sh review-bot
+
+    Read the output. If it contains a SPAWN line, load the matching template from
+    ~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/worker-tasks/<type>.md, substitute {{PROJECT}},
+    {{PR_NUM}}, and {{HEAD_SHA}}, then spawn with sessions_spawn(mode: "run",
+    model: "hai-anthropic/anthropic--claude-4.6-opus", thinking: "high").
+
+    If no SPAWN line in output, reply NO_REPLY.
+
+    See ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/dev-loop/SKILL.md for full instructions.
+    (This repo's SKILL.md is deployed to that workspace path.)
+  model: hai-anthropic/anthropic--claude-4.5-haiku
+  toolsAllow: [exec, sessions_spawn, read]
+```
+
+## Tests
+
+```bash
+# Unit tests (no real API calls):
+bats ~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/test/dispatch.bats
+
+# Invariant checks (static analysis):
+bash ~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/test/check-invariants.sh
+
+# Dry-run against real API:
+DRY_RUN=1 bash ~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/dev-loop-dispatch.sh review-bot
+```
+
+## Related Issues
+
+- **#144** — autonomous merge: eliminated by removing all merge API calls from dispatch
+- **#145** — merged despite REQUEST_CHANGES: eliminated by checking REQUEST_CHANGES first, unconditionally
+- **#148** — this redesign
+
+## Spec
+
+Full design spec: `docs/dev-loop-spec.md`

TODO.md

@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-## Dev Loop Status: 2026-05-15 02:28 UTC
-
-**Repository:** review-bot (rodin/review-bot on Gitea)  
-**Status:** ✅ OPTIMAL
-
-### Health Check
-
-- **Working tree:** clean
-- **Branch:** main (up to date with origin)
-- **Build:** ✅ passes (`go build ./cmd/review-bot`)
-- **Tests:** ✅ ALL PASS (6/6 packages)
-- **Vet:** ✅ clean
-- **Open issues:** 0
-- **Open PRs:** 0
-
-### Recent Changes
-
-Last commit: `dcfd360` (2026-05-15 01:48) — health check post-sync
-
-### Coverage
-
-| Package | Coverage |
-|---------|----------|
-| cmd/review-bot | 46.1% |
-| gitea | 85.2% |
-| github | 86.3% |
-| review | 92.0% |
-
-### Next Priority
-
-- Increase cmd/review-bot coverage (lowest at 46.1%)
-- Monitor prod logs for edge cases
-- VCS integration stable; GitHub + Gitea paths clear
-
----
-
-_Dev-loop cycle complete at 02:28 UTC._

cmd/review-bot/main.go

@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ func main() {
 		switch os.Args[1] {
 		case "validate-url":
 			os.Exit(runValidateURL(os.Args[2:]))
+		case "validate-docmap":
+			os.Exit(runValidateDocmap(os.Args[2:]))
 		}
 	}
 

cmd/review-bot/main_test.go

@@ -1506,3 +1506,60 @@ func TestMainSubprocess_DeprecatedGiteaURLEnv(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected deprecation warning for GITEA_URL, got: %s", out)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestMainSubprocess_InvalidDocMapPath confirms that --doc-map with a path
+// traversal attempt (e.g. ../../../etc/passwd) is rejected when the
+// validate-docmap subcommand is used. The validate-docmap subcommand shares
+// the same path validation logic (validateDocmapPath) that is called when
+// --doc-map is provided to the main review-bot command.
+func TestMainSubprocess_InvalidDocMapPath(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Getenv("TEST_SUBPROCESS_MAIN") == "1" {
+		flag.CommandLine = flag.NewFlagSet(os.Args[0], flag.ExitOnError)
+		os.Args = []string{"review-bot", "validate-docmap",
+			"--docmap", "../../../etc/passwd",
+			"--repo-root", "/tmp",
+		}
+		main()
+		return
+	}
+
+	cmd := exec.Command(os.Args[0], "-test.run=TestMainSubprocess_InvalidDocMapPath")
+	cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), "TEST_SUBPROCESS_MAIN=1")
+	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected non-zero exit for path traversal doc-map, got success")
+	}
+	combined := string(out)
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "invalid") && !strings.Contains(combined, "repo-root") && !strings.Contains(combined, "traversal") && !strings.Contains(combined, "outside") {
+		t.Errorf("expected path confinement error for traversal path, got: %s", combined)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestMainSubprocess_InvalidDocMapFile confirms that --doc-map pointing at a
+// nonexistent file is rejected. The validate-docmap subcommand exercises the
+// same validateDocmapPath that is invoked when --doc-map is provided to the
+// main review-bot command.
+func TestMainSubprocess_InvalidDocMapFile(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Getenv("TEST_SUBPROCESS_MAIN") == "1" {
+		flag.CommandLine = flag.NewFlagSet(os.Args[0], flag.ExitOnError)
+		// Create a temp dir to serve as repo-root, then reference a nonexistent file inside it.
+		repoDir := os.TempDir()
+		os.Args = []string{"review-bot", "validate-docmap",
+			"--docmap", "nonexistent-doc-map.yml",
+			"--repo-root", repoDir,
+		}
+		main()
+		return
+	}
+
+	cmd := exec.Command(os.Args[0], "-test.run=TestMainSubprocess_InvalidDocMapFile")
+	cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), "TEST_SUBPROCESS_MAIN=1")
+	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected non-zero exit for nonexistent doc-map file, got success")
+	}
+	combined := string(out)
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "invalid") && !strings.Contains(combined, "cannot stat") && !strings.Contains(combined, "resolve") {
+		t.Errorf("expected file-not-found error for nonexistent doc-map, got: %s", combined)
+	}
+}

cmd/review-bot/validatedocmap.go

@@ -0,0 +1,274 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"gitea.weiker.me/rodin/review-bot/review"
+)
+
+// maxDocmapBytes is the maximum size of the doc-map YAML file that will be
+// read. Files larger than this are rejected before reading to prevent memory
+// exhaustion from an oversized PR-controlled file.
+const maxDocmapBytes int64 = 10 * 1024 * 1024 // 10 MB
+
+// validateDocmapPath checks that localPath is safe to read as the doc-map
+// file. It enforces three invariants before the file is opened:
+//
+//  1. The path resolves to a regular file within resolvedRoot (path
+//     confinement): prevents a PR-controlled --docmap from reading arbitrary
+//     host files via absolute paths or ".." traversal.
+//  2. The path is not a symlink: prevents denial-of-service via /dev/zero or
+//     information disclosure via symlinks that point outside the workspace.
+//  3. The file does not exceed maxDocmapBytes: prevents memory exhaustion
+//     from an oversized but legitimately committed doc-map file.
+//
+// resolvedRoot must already be an absolute, symlink-free path (obtained from
+// filepath.Abs + filepath.EvalSymlinks).
+func validateDocmapPath(localPath, resolvedRoot string) error {
+	// Resolve the docmap path to an absolute path.
+	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(localPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot resolve path: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Resolve ALL symlink components, not just the final one.
+	// os.Lstat only avoids following the *final* path component; intermediate
+	// directory symlinks are still followed. EvalSymlinks resolves every
+	// component, closing the directory-symlink bypass: a PR that commits
+	// .review-bot/ as a directory symlink pointing outside the repo would
+	// otherwise pass the filepath.Rel confinement check because the textual
+	// path is inside the root while the actual destination is not.
+	resolvedPath, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(absPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot resolve path (symlink): %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Lstat the resolved path — at this point resolvedPath is symlink-free, so
+	// ModeSymlink will never be set. We keep the check as defense-in-depth.
+	fi, err := os.Lstat(resolvedPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot stat file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Defense-in-depth: reject any remaining symlink indicator.
+	if fi.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("symlinks are not allowed")
+	}
+
+	// Confine to resolvedRoot: use the fully-resolved path so that a directory
+	// symlink inside the repo cannot carry the path outside the root.
+	rel, err := filepath.Rel(resolvedRoot, resolvedPath)
+	if err != nil || rel == ".." || strings.HasPrefix(rel, ".."+string(os.PathSeparator)) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("path must be within --repo-root")
+	}
+
+	// Enforce size cap before reading to prevent memory exhaustion.
+	if fi.Size() > maxDocmapBytes {
+		return fmt.Errorf("file size %d bytes exceeds %d-byte limit", fi.Size(), maxDocmapBytes)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// runValidateDocmap implements the `review-bot validate-docmap` subcommand.
+//
+// It reads changed file paths from stdin (one per line, as produced by
+// `git diff --name-only`), parses a doc-map YAML file, and performs two checks:
+//
+//  1. Coverage check: every changed file must be matched by at least one
+//     paths: glob in the docmap. Fails if any file is uncovered.
+//
+//  2. Stale-docs check: every docs: entry in the docmap must exist on disk
+//     (relative to --repo-root). Fails if any path is missing.
+//
+// Both checks always run — all failures are reported before exiting.
+//
+// Exit codes:
+//
+//	0 — clean (all files covered, all docs exist)
+//	1 — one or more coverage or stale-doc failures
+//	2 — usage error, missing flag, or YAML parse error
+func runValidateDocmap(args []string) int {
+	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("validate-docmap", flag.ContinueOnError)
+	fs.SetOutput(errWriter)
+
+	docmapFlag := fs.String("docmap", "", "Path to doc-map YAML file (required)")
+	repoRootFlag := fs.String("repo-root", ".", "Repo root for resolving docs: paths (default: cwd)")
+
+	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		// flag.ContinueOnError already wrote the error to errWriter.
+		return 2
+	}
+
+	if *docmapFlag == "" {
+		fmt.Fprintln(errWriter, "Error: --docmap is required")
+		fmt.Fprintln(errWriter, "")
+		fmt.Fprintln(errWriter, "usage: review-bot validate-docmap --docmap <path> [--repo-root <dir>]")
+		fmt.Fprintln(errWriter, "  Changed files are read from stdin, one per line.")
+		fmt.Fprintln(errWriter, "  Example: git diff --name-only origin/main HEAD | review-bot validate-docmap --docmap .review-bot/doc-map.yml")
+		return 2
+	}
+
+	// Resolve repoRoot first — the docmap path is validated against it below.
+	// Use an absolute, symlink-free path so a symlinked --repo-root cannot
+	// bypass the escape guard in validateDocmapPath or checkStaleDocs.
+	absRoot, err := filepath.Abs(*repoRootFlag)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(errWriter, "Error: failed to resolve --repo-root %q: %v\n", *repoRootFlag, err)
+		return 2
+	}
+	resolvedRoot, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(absRoot)
+	if err != nil {
+		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			fmt.Fprintf(errWriter, "Error: --repo-root %q does not exist\n", *repoRootFlag)
+		} else {
+			fmt.Fprintf(errWriter, "Error: failed to resolve --repo-root %q: %v\n", *repoRootFlag, err)
+		}
+		return 2
+	}
+
+	// Harden the docmap file path before reading it. The --docmap flag value
+	// may reference a PR-controlled file (e.g. .review-bot/doc-map.yml).
+	// Validate that it:
+	//   1. Resolves within resolvedRoot (prevent reading arbitrary host files).
+	//   2. Is not a symlink (prevent /dev/zero or symlink-based host probing).
+	//   3. Does not exceed maxDocmapBytes (prevent memory exhaustion from an
+	//      oversized committed file).
+	if err := validateDocmapPath(*docmapFlag, resolvedRoot); err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(errWriter, "Error: --docmap %q is invalid: %v\n", *docmapFlag, err)
+		return 2
+	}
+
+	// Parse docmap YAML.
+	cfg, err := review.ParseDocMapConfig(*docmapFlag)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(errWriter, "Error: failed to parse docmap %q: %v\n", *docmapFlag, err)
+		return 2
+	}
+
+	// Read changed files from stdin.
+	changedFiles, err := readLines(os.Stdin)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(errWriter, "Error: failed to read stdin: %v\n", err)
+		return 2
+	}
+
+	failed := false
+
+	// --- Check 1: Coverage ---
+	// Note: an empty docmap (no mappings) means every changed file is
+	// uncovered — there are no patterns to match against. This is intentional:
+	// if you declare a doc-map, every changed file must be accounted for.
+	// On empty stdin the check is vacuously true (no files to cover).
+	var uncovered []string
+	for _, f := range changedFiles {
+		// Normalize Windows-style backslashes to forward slashes so that
+		// changed-file paths from git on Windows match doc-map globs.
+		f = strings.ReplaceAll(f, "\\", "/")
+		if !review.FileCoveredByDocMap(cfg, f) {
+			uncovered = append(uncovered, f)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(uncovered) > 0 {
+		failed = true
+		fmt.Fprintln(errWriter, "ERROR: changed files with no docmap coverage:")
+		for _, f := range uncovered {
+			fmt.Fprintf(errWriter, "  %s\n", f)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// --- Check 2: Stale docs ---
+	// checkStaleDocs validates each path before touching the filesystem; see
+	// its documentation for the path-traversal hardening applied.
+	staleDocs := checkStaleDocs(cfg, resolvedRoot)
+	if len(staleDocs) > 0 {
+		failed = true
+		fmt.Fprintln(errWriter, "ERROR: stale docmap docs: entries (paths do not exist):")
+		for _, d := range staleDocs {
+			fmt.Fprintf(errWriter, "  %s\n", d)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if failed {
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	fmt.Fprintln(outWriter, "OK: docmap is valid")
+	return 0
+}
+
+// checkStaleDocs returns deduplicated docs: entries that do not exist under
+// repoRoot.
+//
+// Path-traversal hardening: each docPath is validated with
+// review.ValidateDocPath (rejects absolute paths and ".." segments) and then
+// confined to repoRoot via filepath.Clean + filepath.Rel before os.Lstat is
+// called. Symlinks are treated as stale — a CI tool running against
+// PR-controlled content must not follow symlinks that could probe arbitrary
+// host paths. Paths that fail any check are treated as invalid (reported as
+// stale) without following any symlinks.
+func checkStaleDocs(cfg *review.DocMapConfig, repoRoot string) []string {
+	seen := make(map[string]struct{})
+	var stale []string
+
+	for _, mapping := range cfg.Mappings {
+		for _, docPath := range mapping.Docs {
+			if docPath == "" {
+				continue
+			}
+			if _, ok := seen[docPath]; ok {
+				continue
+			}
+			seen[docPath] = struct{}{}
+
+			// Guard 1: reject absolute paths and ".." segments sourced from
+			// PR-controlled YAML before joining with repoRoot.
+			if err := review.ValidateDocPath(docPath); err != nil {
+				stale = append(stale, docPath)
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// Guard 2: verify the cleaned joined path does not escape repoRoot.
+			// filepath.Clean resolves any remaining ".." after the join; the
+			// filepath.Rel check confirms the path is still under repoRoot.
+			fullPath := filepath.Clean(filepath.Join(repoRoot, filepath.FromSlash(docPath)))
+			rel, err := filepath.Rel(repoRoot, fullPath)
+			if err != nil || rel == ".." || strings.HasPrefix(rel, ".."+string(os.PathSeparator)) {
+				stale = append(stale, docPath)
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// Use Lstat (not Stat) so symlinks are never followed. A symlink
+			// under repoRoot could point anywhere on the host, allowing a
+			// malicious PR to probe file existence. Treat symlinks as stale.
+			fi, err := os.Lstat(fullPath)
+			if err != nil {
+				stale = append(stale, docPath)
+				continue
+			}
+			if fi.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
+				stale = append(stale, docPath)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return stale
+}
+
+// readLines reads all non-empty trimmed lines from r.
+func readLines(r io.Reader) ([]string, error) {
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(r)
+	var lines []string
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		line := strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text())
+		if line != "" {
+			lines = append(lines, line)
+		}
+	}
+	return lines, scanner.Err()
+}

cmd/review-bot/validatedocmap_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,601 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// makeDocmapYAML writes a YAML string to a temp file and returns its path.
+// The file is created in t.TempDir() — use makeDocmapInDir when the docmap
+// must be located inside a specific repo-root directory.
+func makeDocmapYAML(t *testing.T, content string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	f, err := os.CreateTemp(t.TempDir(), "doc-map-*.yml")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateTemp: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	if _, err := f.WriteString(content); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteString: %v", err)
+	}
+	return f.Name()
+}
+
+// makeDocmapInDir writes a YAML string to a file inside dir and returns the
+// file path. Use this instead of makeDocmapYAML when also passing --repo-root,
+// because validateDocmapPath requires the docmap to be within the repo root.
+func makeDocmapInDir(t *testing.T, dir, content string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, ".review-bot"), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("MkdirAll: %v", err)
+	}
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, ".review-bot", "doc-map.yml")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(content), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteFile: %v", err)
+	}
+	return path
+}
+
+// makeDocFile creates a file (and any parent dirs) at the given path relative to dir.
+func makeDocFile(t *testing.T, dir, rel string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	full := filepath.Join(dir, rel)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(full), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("MkdirAll: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(full, []byte("# doc\n"), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteFile: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// captureOutput redirects outWriter/errWriter to buffers for the duration of f.
+func captureOutput(f func()) (stdout, stderr string) {
+	var outBuf, errBuf bytes.Buffer
+	origOut, origErr := outWriter, errWriter
+	outWriter = &outBuf
+	errWriter = &errBuf
+	defer func() {
+		outWriter = origOut
+		errWriter = origErr
+	}()
+	f()
+	return outBuf.String(), errBuf.String()
+}
+
+func TestRunValidateDocmap_Clean(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	makeDocFile(t, dir, "docs/foo.md")
+
+	docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, dir, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/foo/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/foo.md
+`)
+
+	// A covered file with all docs existing → clean.
+	code, stdout, _ := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"lib/foo/bar.ex\n",
+		[]string{"--docmap", docmap, "--repo-root", dir},
+	)
+	if code != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 0 for clean, got %d", code)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stdout, "OK") {
+		t.Errorf("expected 'OK' in stdout, got %q", stdout)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunValidateDocmap_MissingDocmapFlag(t *testing.T) {
+	var code int
+	_, stderr := captureOutput(func() {
+		code = runValidateDocmap([]string{})
+	})
+	if code != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 2 for missing --docmap, got %d", code)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "--docmap") {
+		t.Errorf("expected --docmap in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunValidateDocmap_BadYAML(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, dir, "mappings: [{{invalid")
+	var code int
+	_, stderr := captureOutput(func() {
+		code = runValidateDocmap([]string{"--docmap", docmap, "--repo-root", dir})
+	})
+	if code != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 2 for bad YAML, got %d", code)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "failed to parse") {
+		t.Errorf("expected parse error in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunValidateDocmap_StaleDocs(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	// docs/foo.md does NOT exist on disk.
+
+	docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, dir, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/foo/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/foo.md
+`)
+
+	var code int
+	_, stderr := captureOutput(func() {
+		code = runValidateDocmap([]string{
+			"--docmap", docmap,
+			"--repo-root", dir,
+		})
+	})
+	if code != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 1 for stale docs, got %d", code)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "docs/foo.md") {
+		t.Errorf("expected stale path in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "stale docmap") {
+		t.Errorf("expected 'stale docmap' in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+}
+
+// stdinValidateDocmap runs runValidateDocmap with a synthetic stdin.
+//
+// Implementation note: we write stdinContent to a temp file and point
+// os.Stdin at it. The defer f.Close() fires after stdinValidateDocmap
+// returns, which is after runValidateDocmap has finished reading stdin
+// synchronously — so the file is not closed while still in use.
+// Tests must not call t.Parallel() while sharing the global os.Stdin.
+func stdinValidateDocmap(t *testing.T, stdinContent string, args []string) (code int, stdout, stderr string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	// Write stdin content to a temp file and redirect os.Stdin.
+	f, err := os.CreateTemp(t.TempDir(), "stdin-*")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateTemp for stdin: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	if _, err := f.WriteString(stdinContent); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteString for stdin: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := f.Seek(0, 0); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Seek for stdin: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	origStdin := os.Stdin
+	os.Stdin = f
+	defer func() { os.Stdin = origStdin }()
+
+	stdout, stderr = captureOutput(func() {
+		code = runValidateDocmap(args)
+	})
+	return
+}
+
+func TestRunValidateDocmap_UncoveredFile(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	makeDocFile(t, dir, "docs/foo.md")
+
+	docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, dir, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/foo/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/foo.md
+`)
+
+	code, _, stderr := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"lib/bar/uncovered.ex\n",
+		[]string{"--docmap", docmap, "--repo-root", dir},
+	)
+	if code != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 1 for uncovered file, got %d", code)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "lib/bar/uncovered.ex") {
+		t.Errorf("expected uncovered file in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "no docmap coverage") {
+		t.Errorf("expected 'no docmap coverage' in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunValidateDocmap_BothFailures(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	// docs/foo.md intentionally missing
+
+	docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, dir, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/foo/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/foo.md
+`)
+
+	code, _, stderr := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"lib/bar/uncovered.ex\n",
+		[]string{"--docmap", docmap, "--repo-root", dir},
+	)
+	if code != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 1 for both failures, got %d", code)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "no docmap coverage") {
+		t.Errorf("expected coverage error in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "stale docmap") {
+		t.Errorf("expected stale-docs error in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunValidateDocmap_EmptyStdin(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	makeDocFile(t, dir, "docs/foo.md")
+
+	docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, dir, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/foo/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/foo.md
+`)
+
+	code, stdout, _ := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"",
+		[]string{"--docmap", docmap, "--repo-root", dir},
+	)
+	if code != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 0 for empty stdin, got %d", code)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stdout, "OK") {
+		t.Errorf("expected 'OK' in stdout, got %q", stdout)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunValidateDocmap_BlankLinesSkipped(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	makeDocFile(t, dir, "docs/foo.md")
+
+	docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, dir, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/foo/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/foo.md
+`)
+
+	// stdin with only blank lines → effectively empty, should be clean
+	code, stdout, _ := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"\n  \n\n",
+		[]string{"--docmap", docmap, "--repo-root", dir},
+	)
+	if code != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 0 for blank-only stdin, got %d", code)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stdout, "OK") {
+		t.Errorf("expected 'OK' in stdout for blank-only stdin, got %q", stdout)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunValidateDocmap_DuplicateDocsDeduped(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	// docs/shared.md intentionally missing — but it appears in TWO mappings.
+	// Should appear only once in stale list.
+
+	docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, dir, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/foo/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/shared.md
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/bar/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/shared.md
+`)
+
+	code, _, stderr := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"",
+		[]string{"--docmap", docmap, "--repo-root", dir},
+	)
+	if code != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 1 for stale doc, got %d", code)
+	}
+	count := strings.Count(stderr, "docs/shared.md")
+	if count != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected docs/shared.md to appear exactly once in stderr (deduplicated), got %d occurrences: %q", count, stderr)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCheckStaleDocs_PathTraversal verifies that checkStaleDocs rejects
+// traversal and absolute paths without touching the host filesystem.
+func TestCheckStaleDocs_PathTraversal(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// Baseline: a valid doc that exists.
+	makeDocFile(t, dir, "docs/valid.md")
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name      string
+		docPath   string
+		wantStale bool
+	}{
+		{"dot-dot traversal", "../../etc/passwd", true},
+		{"dot-dot single", "../outside", true},
+		{"absolute path", "/etc/passwd", true},
+		{"valid present path", "docs/valid.md", false},
+		{"valid missing path", "docs/missing.md", true},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, dir, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/**"
+    docs:
+      - `+tc.docPath+`
+`)
+			code, _, stderr := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+				"",
+				[]string{"--docmap", docmap, "--repo-root", dir},
+			)
+
+			if tc.wantStale {
+				if code != 1 {
+					t.Errorf("path %q: expected exit 1 (stale/invalid), got %d; stderr: %q", tc.docPath, code, stderr)
+				}
+			} else {
+				if code != 0 {
+					t.Errorf("path %q: expected exit 0 (valid), got %d; stderr: %q", tc.docPath, code, stderr)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCheckStaleDocs_SymlinkOutside verifies that a symlink under repoRoot
+// pointing outside the repo is treated as stale (not followed).
+func TestCheckStaleDocs_SymlinkOutside(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// Create a symlink inside repoRoot pointing to a file outside the repo.
+	// We point at /etc/hostname (exists on Linux CI) but the test does not
+	// depend on that file existing — Lstat must reject the symlink itself.
+	linkPath := filepath.Join(dir, "docs", "secret.md")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(linkPath), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("MkdirAll: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := os.Symlink("/etc/hostname", linkPath); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Symlink: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, dir, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/secret.md
+`)
+
+	code, _, stderr := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"",
+		[]string{"--docmap", docmap, "--repo-root", dir},
+	)
+	if code != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 1 for symlink doc, got %d; stderr: %q", code, stderr)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "docs/secret.md") {
+		t.Errorf("expected stale path in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCheckStaleDocs_SymlinkInsideRepo verifies that a symlink pointing to
+// another file *within* the repo is also treated as stale. We refuse all
+// symlinks regardless of target to keep the check simple and safe.
+func TestCheckStaleDocs_SymlinkInsideRepo(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// Real doc file.
+	makeDocFile(t, dir, "docs/real.md")
+
+	// Symlink inside repo pointing at the real file.
+	linkPath := filepath.Join(dir, "docs", "link.md")
+	if err := os.Symlink(filepath.Join(dir, "docs", "real.md"), linkPath); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Symlink: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, dir, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/link.md
+`)
+
+	code, _, stderr := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"",
+		[]string{"--docmap", docmap, "--repo-root", dir},
+	)
+	if code != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 1 for symlink doc (even intra-repo), got %d; stderr: %q", code, stderr)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRunValidateDocmap_SymlinkRepoRoot verifies that a --repo-root that is
+// itself a symlink to a valid directory resolves correctly.
+func TestRunValidateDocmap_SymlinkRepoRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	realDir := t.TempDir()
+	makeDocFile(t, realDir, "docs/foo.md")
+
+	// Create a symlink pointing at realDir.
+	symlinkDir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "link-root")
+	if err := os.Symlink(realDir, symlinkDir); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Symlink: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Place the docmap inside realDir so it passes the confinement check.
+	// (symlinkDir resolves to realDir, so files inside realDir are also inside
+	// the resolved repo-root.)
+	docmap := makeDocmapInDir(t, realDir, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/foo.md
+`)
+
+	// Using the symlinked repo-root: the real doc exists → should be clean.
+	code, stdout, stderr := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"lib/foo.go\n",
+		[]string{"--docmap", docmap, "--repo-root", symlinkDir},
+	)
+	if code != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 0 for symlinked repo-root with existing doc, got %d; stderr: %q", code, stderr)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stdout, "OK") {
+		t.Errorf("expected 'OK' in stdout, got %q", stdout)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestValidateDocmapPath_Symlink verifies that --docmap pointing at a symlink
+// whose resolved target is outside --repo-root is rejected (prevents reading
+// arbitrary host files via PR-controlled symlinks).
+//
+// Note: after the EvalSymlinks fix (issue #150), in-repo symlinks whose
+// targets also reside within the repo root are now allowed — the confinement
+// check is applied to the resolved path, not the symlink entry itself. The
+// security invariant is: the resolved destination must be within the root.
+func TestValidateDocmapPath_Symlink(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	outside := t.TempDir()
+
+	// Create a docmap file OUTSIDE the repo root to serve as the symlink
+	// target. EvalSymlinks will resolve to this path, which the Rel check
+	// must then reject.
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(outside, ".review-bot"), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("MkdirAll: %v", err)
+	}
+	outsideDocmap := filepath.Join(outside, ".review-bot", "doc-map.yml")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(outsideDocmap, []byte("mappings: []\n"), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteFile: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Create a symlink inside dir pointing to the file outside the repo.
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, ".review-bot"), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("MkdirAll: %v", err)
+	}
+	symlinkPath := filepath.Join(dir, ".review-bot", "doc-map-link.yml")
+	if err := os.Symlink(outsideDocmap, symlinkPath); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Symlink: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	code, _, stderr := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"",
+		[]string{"--docmap", symlinkPath, "--repo-root", dir},
+	)
+	if code != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 2 for out-of-repo symlink docmap, got %d; stderr: %q", code, stderr)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "invalid") && !strings.Contains(stderr, "repo-root") {
+		t.Errorf("expected confinement rejection in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestValidateDocmapPath_OutsideRepoRoot verifies that --docmap pointing
+// outside --repo-root is rejected (prevents reading arbitrary host files).
+func TestValidateDocmapPath_OutsideRepoRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	repoDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// Create a docmap in a separate temp dir (outside the repo root).
+	outside := makeDocmapYAML(t, `
+mappings:
+  - paths:
+      - "lib/**"
+    docs:
+      - docs/foo.md
+`)
+
+	code, _, stderr := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"",
+		[]string{"--docmap", outside, "--repo-root", repoDir},
+	)
+	if code != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 2 for docmap outside repo-root, got %d; stderr: %q", code, stderr)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "invalid") && !strings.Contains(stderr, "repo-root") {
+		t.Errorf("expected confinement rejection in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestValidateDocmapPath_SizeLimit verifies that --docmap files exceeding
+// maxDocmapBytes are rejected before reading (prevents memory exhaustion).
+func TestValidateDocmapPath_SizeLimit(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// Write a file larger than maxDocmapBytes.
+	bigPath := filepath.Join(dir, ".review-bot", "big-doc-map.yml")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(bigPath), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("MkdirAll: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Exceed the limit by one byte.
+	bigContent := make([]byte, maxDocmapBytes+1)
+	if err := os.WriteFile(bigPath, bigContent, 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteFile: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	code, _, stderr := stdinValidateDocmap(t,
+		"",
+		[]string{"--docmap", bigPath, "--repo-root", dir},
+	)
+	if code != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected exit 2 for oversized docmap, got %d; stderr: %q", code, stderr)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "limit") && !strings.Contains(stderr, "size") && !strings.Contains(stderr, "invalid") {
+		t.Errorf("expected size limit error in stderr, got %q", stderr)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestValidateDocmapPath_DirSymlinkBypass verifies that a directory-symlink
+// inside the repo pointing outside cannot be used to read arbitrary host files.
+//
+// Attack vector: a PR commits .review-bot/ as a directory symlink targeting a
+// directory outside the repo. The textual path of the docmap file is inside
+// the repo root, so the old Rel-only check passed — but the actual file is
+// outside. This is closed by calling EvalSymlinks on the full path before the
+// confinement check.
+func TestValidateDocmapPath_DirSymlinkBypass(t *testing.T) {
+	repoDir := t.TempDir()
+	outsideDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// Secret file outside the repo.
+	secretPath := filepath.Join(outsideDir, "secret.yml")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(secretPath, []byte("mappings: []\n"), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteFile: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Create .review-bot/ as a directory symlink pointing outside the repo.
+	reviewBotDir := filepath.Join(repoDir, ".review-bot")
+	if err := os.Symlink(outsideDir, reviewBotDir); err != nil {
+		t.Skipf("cannot create dir symlink (platform may not support it): %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Textually inside repo — .review-bot/secret.yml — but resolves outside.
+	attackPath := filepath.Join(repoDir, ".review-bot", "secret.yml")
+
+	// Resolve repoDir to a symlink-free path, as runValidateDocmap does.
+	resolvedRoot, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(repoDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("EvalSymlinks(repoDir): %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := validateDocmapPath(attackPath, resolvedRoot); err == nil {
+		t.Error("expected rejection of dir-symlink bypass, got nil error")
+	}
+}

docs/dev-loop-spec.md

@@ -0,0 +1,278 @@
+# Dev-Loop Dispatch Spec
+
+**Version:** 1.0
+**Status:** Implemented
+**Implements:** Issue #148
+
+This document is the authoritative spec for the review-bot dev-loop dispatch architecture.
+The dispatch script (`~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/dev-loop-dispatch.sh`) and its tests
+are validated against the rules and invariants in this document.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Overview
+
+The dev-loop is a 15-minute cron that advances the state of open pull requests and picks up
+new issues when there is nothing in review. It is designed for **zero human intervention**
+in the normal flow and **hard stops at key safety boundaries**.
+
+### Architecture
+
+```
+Cron (15-min cadence)
+  → exec: bash dev-loop-dispatch.sh <project>
+  → read stdout for SPAWN/HANDOFF lines
+  → if SPAWN: load worker template, spawn subagent
+  → if HANDOFF: log, do nothing else
+  → if neither: NO_REPLY
+```
+
+The cron model has **no ambient knowledge** of the project state. All state is derived
+from the dispatch script's output, which in turn comes from live API calls.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Inputs
+
+### Project Config
+
+```yaml
+# memory/projects/<project>.yaml
+repo: rodin/review-bot         # <owner>/<repo>
+api_base: https://gitea.../v1  # API base URL
+token_path: ~/.openclaw/...    # path to bearer token
+user: rodin                    # bot Gitea username
+labels:
+  wip: <id>
+  ready: <id>
+review_bots:                   # sentinel names in review bodies
+  - sonnet
+  - gpt
+  - security
+```
+
+### Script Arguments
+
+```bash
+bash dev-loop-dispatch.sh <project>   # normal run
+DRY_RUN=1 bash dev-loop-dispatch.sh <project>   # dry-run (no mutations)
+```
+
+---
+
+## 3. State
+
+The dispatch script is **stateless per run**. All state lives in the Gitea API:
+
+| State | API location |
+|-------|-------------|
+| Open PRs | `GET /repos/:repo/pulls?state=open` |
+| PR labels | `GET /repos/:repo/issues/:n/labels` |
+| PR reviews | `GET /repos/:repo/pulls/:n/reviews` |
+| CI status | `GET /repos/:repo/commits/:sha/status` |
+| Issue comments | `GET /repos/:repo/issues/:n/comments` |
+| Inline diff comments | `GET /repos/:repo/pulls/:n/comments` |
+| Issue timeline | `GET /repos/:repo/issues/:n/timeline` |
+
+No file-based state. No cron-to-cron carry-over.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Output Protocol
+
+The script emits structured lines to stdout. Stderr is diagnostic logging.
+
+### `SPAWN:<type>:<number>:<sha>`
+
+A worker is needed. The cron model reads this and spawns a subagent using the
+template at `worker-tasks/<type>.md`.
+
+| Field | Description |
+|-------|-------------|
+| `type` | Worker type: `self-review`, `ci-fix`, `address-feedback`, `findings`, `rebase`, `impl` |
+| `number` | PR number (or issue number for `impl`) |
+| `sha` | HEAD SHA of the PR (empty for `impl`) |
+
+At most **one SPAWN** is emitted per script run.
+
+### `HANDOFF:<pr_num>`
+
+All checks passed for `pr_num`. The script applied the `ready` label and assigned
+to the human reviewer. The cron model logs this and takes no further action.
+
+Multiple HANDOFFs may be emitted in one run (one per qualifying PR).
+
+---
+
+## 5. Dispatch Rules
+
+Rules are evaluated **in order** for each open PR. The first matching condition wins.
+Only one SPAWN is emitted per full pass.
+
+### Rule 0: WIP Cleanup
+
+For each open PR with a `wip` label:
+
+1. Find the timestamp when the label was most recently applied (via timeline events)
+2. If age > 1hr: **remove the label** (stale lock — worker likely crashed)
+3. If age ≤ 1hr: **set ACTIVE_WIP=1** (do not exit, only gates Rule 10)
+
+### Rule 2: REQUEST_CHANGES Blocks
+
+**ALWAYS evaluated before any other per-PR rule.**
+
+For each reviewer, take their **latest** review state. If any reviewer's latest
+state is `REQUEST_CHANGES`:
+
+→ Acquire WIP label on this PR
+→ Emit `SPAWN:findings:<pr_num>:<head_sha>`
+→ Continue to next PR (but only one SPAWN total)
+
+This rule cannot be bypassed by any condition. There is no waiver mechanism.
+
+### Rule 3: Merge Conflicts
+
+If `mergeable == false`:
+
+→ Acquire WIP
+→ Emit `SPAWN:rebase:<pr_num>:<head_sha>`
+
+### Rule 4: CI Failure
+
+If CI state is `failure` or `error`:
+
+- If a fix plan comment exists for this HEAD SHA: **skip** (worker in progress)
+- Otherwise:
+
+→ Acquire WIP
+→ Emit `SPAWN:ci-fix:<pr_num>:<head_sha>`
+
+### Rule 5: Bot Reviews Missing
+
+For each configured `review_bot`, check whether a review body contains the
+sentinel `<!-- review-bot:<name> -->`.
+
+If any sentinel is missing: **wait** (continue to next PR, no SPAWN).
+
+### Rule 6: CI Pending/Unknown
+
+If CI state is `pending` or `unknown`: **wait**.
+
+### Rule 7: Self-Review
+
+Check for a self-review comment from the bot user against the current HEAD SHA:
+- Comment contains `Self-review against <head_sha>`
+
+Sub-cases:
+- **Missing**: No self-review comment →
+  → Acquire WIP, emit `SPAWN:self-review:<pr_num>:<head_sha>`
+- **Needs attention** (`Assessment: ⚠️`): Found, but has findings:
+  - Fix plan exists for HEAD SHA: skip
+  - No fix plan: → Acquire WIP, emit `SPAWN:sr-fix:<pr_num>:<head_sha>`
+- **Clean** (`Assessment: ✅ Clean`): Continue to Rule 8
+
+### Rule 8: Unacknowledged Bot Review Findings
+
+For each **current** (contains `Evaluated against <head_short>`) APPROVED bot review
+that has a findings table:
+
+A finding is **unacknowledged** if it does not appear as `Finding #N` in a fix plan
+comment from the bot user for this HEAD SHA.
+
+If any unacknowledged findings exist:
+- Fix plan exists: skip
+- No fix plan: → Acquire WIP, emit `SPAWN:address-feedback:<pr_num>:<head_sha>`
+
+### Rule 9: Unresolved Inline Diff Comments
+
+An inline diff comment is **unresolved** if:
+1. `in_reply_to_id` is null (top-level comment)
+2. `resolver` is null (not formally resolved)
+3. No other comment has `in_reply_to_id` pointing to this comment (no reply)
+
+If unresolved comments exist:
+- Fix plan exists: skip
+- No fix plan: → Acquire WIP, emit `SPAWN:address-feedback:<pr_num>:<head_sha>`
+
+### Rule 10: Handoff
+
+All rules above passed. Verify all bot reviews are current (contain `Evaluated against <head_short>`).
+
+If all current:
+- Apply `ready` label
+- Assign to `aweiker`
+- Emit `HANDOFF:<pr_num>`
+- Continue evaluating remaining PRs (do NOT exit)
+
+If already assigned to `aweiker`: skip (assume handoff was already performed; continue to next PR without emitting another HANDOFF).
+
+### Rule 11: New Issue Pickup
+
+Only runs if: no open PRs exist AND `ACTIVE_WIP == 0`.
+
+Fetch open, unassigned issues. Priority: bugs first, then by number ascending.
+
+Claim the issue (assign to bot user to prevent double-pick), then:
+→ Emit `SPAWN:impl:<issue_num>:`
+
+---
+
+## 6. Safety Invariants
+
+These are statically checked by `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/test/check-invariants.sh` and enforced in all changes:
+
+| ID | Invariant |
+|----|-----------|
+| S1 | Zero merge API calls in dispatch script (`/merge` does not appear) |
+| S2 | REQUEST_CHANGES check (Rule 2) appears before CI check (Rule 4) |
+| S3 | REQUEST_CHANGES check (Rule 2) appears before ready label application (Rule 10) |
+| S4 | No model/AI API references in dispatch script |
+| S5 | `set -euo pipefail` present |
+| S6 | Active WIP does not cause early exit (only sets ACTIVE_WIP flag) |
+| S7 | SPAWN:impl guarded by `ACTIVE_WIP == 0` check |
+| S8 | No merge calls in any worker template |
+
+---
+
+## 7. Error Handling
+
+| Error | Behavior |
+|-------|----------|
+| `curl` returns error | `set -euo pipefail` aborts script — no partial actions |
+| `jq` parse error | Script aborts |
+| Worker crashes | WIP label left on PR; stale WIP cleanup (Rule 0) removes it after 1hr |
+| Race: two crons fire | WIP mutex prevents double-dispatch for same PR |
+| `sessions_spawn` fails | Worker not spawned; WIP label orphaned → cleaned in 1hr |
+| Config file missing | Exit code 2 with error message |
+
+---
+
+## 8. Worker Templates
+
+Each worker receives a precise task description with substituted values:
+
+| Template | Trigger | Key job |
+|----------|---------|---------|
+| `self-review.md` | No clean self-review | Post self-review comment, remove WIP |
+| `sr-fix.md` | Self-review needs attention | Address self-review findings, push, remove WIP |
+| `ci-fix.md` | CI failing | Diagnose, fix, push, remove WIP |
+| `address-feedback.md` | Unacknowledged findings or inline comments | Address feedback, push, remove WIP |
+| `findings.md` | REQUEST_CHANGES present | Address REQUEST_CHANGES, push, remove WIP |
+| `rebase.md` | Merge conflicts | Rebase on main, push, remove WIP |
+| `impl.md` | New issue | Implement feature/fix, open PR |
+
+Workers **always** remove the WIP label on completion and reply `NO_REPLY`.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Fixes for Issues #144 and #145
+
+**Issue #144** (autonomous merge):
+The dispatch script contains no merge API calls anywhere. The `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/test/check-invariants.sh`
+invariant `S1` verifies this. Workers do not receive merge instructions.
+
+**Issue #145** (merged despite REQUEST_CHANGES):
+Rule 2 is the **first** rule evaluated per PR. It cannot be skipped, reasoned past,
+or bypassed. It is checked before CI, before self-review, before handoff. The check
+uses latest-per-reviewer state, so a reviewer who re-approved after REQUEST_CHANGES
+is correctly handled.

review/docmap.go

@@ -66,6 +66,18 @@ func ParseDocMapConfig(localPath string) (*DocMapConfig, error) {
 	return &cfg, nil
 }
 
+// FileCoveredByDocMap reports whether at least one paths: glob in any mapping
+// of cfg matches the given file path. It is used by static validation tooling
+// (e.g. the validate-docmap subcommand) to check per-file docmap coverage.
+func FileCoveredByDocMap(cfg *DocMapConfig, file string) bool {
+	for _, mapping := range cfg.Mappings {
+		if mappingMatches(mapping.Paths, []string{file}) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // MatchDocs returns deduplicated doc paths for the given changed file paths.
 // A mapping matches if any of its path globs matches any of the changed files.
 func MatchDocs(cfg *DocMapConfig, changedFiles []string) []string {
@@ -245,7 +257,7 @@ type docEntry struct {
 // If the path is a directory, all .md files under it are returned.
 // If it's a file, a single entry is returned.
 func loadDocEntries(ctx context.Context, fetcher DocFetcher, owner, repo, docPath string) ([]docEntry, error) {
-	if err := validateDocPath(docPath); err != nil {
+	if err := ValidateDocPath(docPath); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("doc path %q rejected: %w", docPath, err)
 	}
 
@@ -298,11 +310,15 @@ func readFileBytes(path string) ([]byte, error) {
 	return os.ReadFile(path)
 }
 
-// validateDocPath rejects doc paths that could cause path traversal via the
-// VCS API (absolute paths, any ".." segment). Defense-in-depth: the VCS API
-// should already scope paths to the repo, but we validate locally to avoid
-// any quirk in backend path handling.
-func validateDocPath(p string) error {
+// ValidateDocPath rejects doc paths that could cause path traversal
+// (absolute paths, any ".." segment, backslashes). Defense-in-depth: callers
+// must also confine the joined path to the repo root via filepath.Rel before
+// any filesystem access. Backslashes are rejected explicitly to prevent
+// Windows platform edge cases.
+func ValidateDocPath(p string) error {
+	if strings.Contains(p, "\\") {
+		return fmt.Errorf("backslashes not allowed in doc paths")
+	}
 	if filepath.IsAbs(p) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("absolute paths not allowed")
 	}

review/docmap_test.go

@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ func TestValidateDocPath(t *testing.T) {
 		"a/b/c",
 	}
 	for _, p := range valid {
-		if err := validateDocPath(p); err != nil {
+		if err := ValidateDocPath(p); err != nil {
 			t.Errorf("expected valid path %q to pass, got error: %v", p, err)
 		}
 	}
@@ -395,9 +395,13 @@ func TestValidateDocPath(t *testing.T) {
 		"docs/../../../etc/passwd",
 		"../sibling-repo/file.md",
 		"a/b/../c",
+		// Backslashes must be rejected (Finding #3 — Windows platform edge cases).
+		`docs\foo.md`,
+		`docs\..\secret`,
+		`\absolute`,
 	}
 	for _, p := range invalid {
-		if err := validateDocPath(p); err == nil {
+		if err := ValidateDocPath(p); err == nil {
 			t.Errorf("expected path %q to be rejected, but it was accepted", p)
 		}
 	}
@@ -420,6 +424,27 @@ func TestLoadMatchingDocs_PathTraversalRejected(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestValidateDocPath_Backslash verifies that backslash-bearing paths are
+// rejected to prevent Windows platform edge cases where a path separator
+// could be normalised differently by the host OS or VCS backend.
+func TestValidateDocPath_Backslash(t *testing.T) {
+	backslashPaths := []string{
+		`docs\foo.md`,
+		`docs\subdir\file.md`,
+		`\absolute`,
+	}
+	for _, p := range backslashPaths {
+		if err := ValidateDocPath(p); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("expected backslash path %q to be rejected, but it was accepted", p)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Sanity: forward-slash path must still be accepted.
+	if err := ValidateDocPath("docs/foo.md"); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("expected forward-slash path to be accepted, got: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 // ============================================================
 // Helpers
 // ============================================================
@@ -436,3 +461,52 @@ func writeTempYAML(t *testing.T, content string) string {
 	}
 	return filepath.Clean(f.Name())
 }
+
+// ============================================================
+// FileCoveredByDocMap
+// ============================================================
+
+func TestFileCoveredByDocMap(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &DocMapConfig{
+		Mappings: []DocMapping{
+			{
+				Paths: []string{"lib/foo/**", "lib/bar/*.go"},
+				Docs:  []string{"docs/foo.md"},
+			},
+			{
+				Paths: []string{"cmd/**"},
+				Docs:  []string{"docs/cmd.md"},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	cases := []struct {
+		file    string
+		covered bool
+	}{
+		{"lib/foo/baz.ex", true},
+		{"lib/foo/sub/deep.ex", true},
+		{"lib/bar/util.go", true},
+		{"lib/bar/sub/util.go", false}, // *.go only matches one level
+		{"cmd/main.go", true},
+		{"cmd/sub/main.go", true},
+		{"internal/secret.go", false},
+		{"", false},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.file, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := FileCoveredByDocMap(cfg, tc.file)
+			if got != tc.covered {
+				t.Errorf("FileCoveredByDocMap(%q) = %v, want %v", tc.file, got, tc.covered)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFileCoveredByDocMap_EmptyConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &DocMapConfig{}
+	if FileCoveredByDocMap(cfg, "lib/foo/bar.go") {
+		t.Error("expected false for empty config, got true")
+	}
+}