Defense-in-Depth Validation

Overview

When you fix a bug caused by invalid data, adding validation at one place feels sufficient. But that single check can be bypassed by different code paths, refactoring, or mocks.

Core principle: Validate at EVERY layer data passes through. Make the bug structurally impossible.

Why Multiple Layers

Single validation: "We fixed the bug" Multiple layers: "We made the bug impossible"

Different layers catch different cases:

• Entry validation catches most bugs
• Business logic catches edge cases
• Environment guards prevent context-specific dangers
• Validation gates ensure production quality
• Debug logging helps when other layers fail

Shannon Enhancement: The Five Layers

Shannon extends Superpowers' 4-layer model with validation gates integration.

Layer 1: Entry Point Validation

Purpose: Reject obviously invalid input at API boundary

function createProject(name: string, workingDirectory: string) {
  if (!workingDirectory || workingDirectory.trim() === '') {
    throw new Error('workingDirectory cannot be empty');
  }
  if (!existsSync(workingDirectory)) {
    throw new Error(`workingDirectory does not exist: ${workingDirectory}`);
  }
  if (!statSync(workingDirectory).isDirectory()) {
    throw new Error(`workingDirectory is not a directory: ${workingDirectory}`);
  }
  // ... proceed
}

Layer 2: Business Logic Validation

Purpose: Ensure data makes sense for this operation

function initializeWorkspace(projectDir: string, sessionId: string) {
  if (!projectDir) {
    throw new Error('projectDir required for workspace initialization');
  }
  // ... proceed
}

Layer 3: Environment Guards

Purpose: Prevent dangerous operations in specific contexts

async function gitInit(directory: string) {
  // In tests, refuse git init outside temp directories
  if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'test') {
    const normalized = normalize(resolve(directory));
    const tmpDir = normalize(resolve(tmpdir()));

    if (!normalized.startsWith(tmpDir)) {
      throw new Error(
        `Refusing git init outside temp dir during tests: ${directory}`
      );
    }
  }
  // ... proceed
}

Layer 4: Validation Gates (Shannon)

Purpose: Run Shannon's 3-tier validation at critical checkpoints

async function deployFeature(feature: Feature) {
  // Shannon's 3-tier validation
  const gates = await runValidationGates(feature);

  // Tier 1: Flow validation
  if (!gates.tier1.pass) {
    throw new Error(`Flow validation failed: ${gates.tier1.errors}`);
  }

  // Tier 2: Artifact validation
  if (!gates.tier2.pass) {
    throw new Error(`Artifact validation failed: ${gates.tier2.errors}`);
  }

  // Tier 3: Functional validation (NO MOCKS)
  if (!gates.tier3.pass) {
    throw new Error(`Functional validation failed: ${gates.tier3.errors}`);
  }

  // All gates passed, proceed with deployment
  // ... proceed
}

Layer 5: Debug Instrumentation

Purpose: Capture context for forensics and Serena learning

async function gitInit(directory: string) {
  const stack = new Error().stack;

  // Shannon: Save to Serena for pattern analysis
  await serena.write_memory(`operations/git_init/${Date.now()}`, {
    operation: 'git_init',
    directory,
    cwd: process.cwd(),
    env: process.env.NODE_ENV,
    stack_depth: stack.split('\n').length,
    timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
  });

  logger.debug('About to git init', {
    directory,
    cwd: process.cwd(),
    stack,
  });

  // ... proceed
}

Applying the Pattern

When you find a bug:

1. Trace the data flow (use root-cause-tracing skill)

   • Where does bad value originate?
   • Where is it used?

2. Map all checkpoints

   • List every point data passes through
   • Identify which layers apply

3. Add validation at each layer

   • Layer 1: Entry point
   • Layer 2: Business logic
   • Layer 3: Environment guards
   • Layer 4: Validation gates (Shannon)
   • Layer 5: Debug instrumentation

4. Test each layer

   • Try to bypass layer 1, verify layer 2 catches it
   • Try to bypass layers 1-2, verify layer 3 catches it
   • Verify gates run at checkpoints (layer 4)
   • Verify instrumentation captures forensics (layer 5)

Example from Session

Bug: Empty projectDir caused git init in source code

Data flow:

1. Test setup → empty string
2. Project.create(name, '')
3. WorkspaceManager.createWorkspace('')
4. git init runs in process.cwd()

Five layers added (Shannon enhancement):

• Layer 1: Project.create() validates not empty/exists/writable
• Layer 2: WorkspaceManager validates projectDir not empty
• Layer 3: WorktreeManager refuses git init outside tmpdir in tests
• Layer 4: Validation gates before critical operations
• Layer 5: Stack trace logging + Serena persistence

Result: All 1847 tests passed, bug impossible to reproduce

Shannon tracking:

defense_coverage = {
    "bug_id": "empty_projectDir",
    "layers_added": 5,
    "coverage": {
        "entry_point": True,
        "business_logic": True,
        "environment_guards": True,
        "validation_gates": True,
        "instrumentation": True
    },
    "tests_passed": "1847/1847",
    "bug_reproducible": False,
    "timestamp": ISO_timestamp
}

serena.write_memory("defense/coverage/empty_projectDir", defense_coverage)

Shannon-Specific Patterns

Integration with Validation Gates

At critical checkpoints, run Shannon's 3-tier validation:

async function criticalOperation(data: unknown) {
  // Layer 1: Entry validation
  validateInput(data);

  // Layer 2: Business validation
  validateBusinessRules(data);

  // Layer 3: Environment guards
  if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
    requireProductionChecks(data);
  }

  // Layer 4: Shannon validation gates
  const gates = await runValidationGates({
    tier1: () => checkFlow(data),
    tier2: () => checkArtifacts(data),
    tier3: () => checkFunctional(data)  // NO MOCKS
  });

  if (!gates.allPass) {
    throw new ValidationError('Gates failed', gates.failures);
  }

  // Layer 5: Instrumentation
  await logToSerena('criticalOperation', { data, gates });

  // Now safe to proceed
  // ...
}

Quantitative Coverage Tracking

Shannon requirement: Track defense coverage quantitatively:

# After adding defense layers
coverage_metrics = {
    "total_layers": 5,
    "layers_implemented": {
        "entry_point": True,
        "business_logic": True,
        "environment_guards": True,
        "validation_gates": True,
        "instrumentation": True
    },
    "coverage_percentage": 100.0,  # 5/5 layers
    "test_verification": {
        "bypass_attempts": 5,
        "all_caught": True,
        "layer_effectiveness": {
            "layer1_catches": 3,  # 60% of bypass attempts
            "layer2_catches": 1,  # 20%
            "layer3_catches": 1,  # 20%
            "layer4_catches": 0,  # All caught before gates
            "layer5_detected": 5  # 100% logged
        }
    }
}

serena.write_memory("defense/metrics/{feature_id}", coverage_metrics)

Pattern Learning from Defense Layers

Shannon learns which patterns work:

# Query historical defense implementations
defense_history = serena.query_memory("defense/metrics/*")

# Analyze effectiveness
analysis = {
    "total_defenses": len(defense_history),
    "avg_layers": average([d["total_layers"] for d in defense_history]),
    "most_effective_layer": "entry_point",  # Catches 65% on average
    "least_bypassed": "validation_gates",  # Never bypassed
    "recommendation": "Always implement layer 4 (gates) for critical operations"
}

# Use this to guide future defense implementations

Key Insight

All five layers were necessary. During testing, each layer caught bugs the others missed:

• Different code paths bypassed entry validation
• Mocks bypassed business logic checks (Shannon NO MOCKS prevents this)
• Edge cases on different platforms needed environment guards
• Validation gates caught integration issues
• Debug logging identified structural misuse

Don't stop at one validation point. Add checks at every layer.

Integration with Other Skills

This skill works with:

• root-cause-tracing - Find all layers data passes through
• systematic-debugging - After finding root cause, add defense
• verification-before-completion - Verify all layers work
• test-driven-development - Write tests for each layer

Shannon integration:

• Validation gates - Layer 4 runs 3-tier validation
• Serena MCP - Track defense patterns, learn effectiveness
• NO MOCKS - Layer 4 must use real systems

Verification Checklist

After adding defense layers:

• Layer 1: Entry point validation added
• Layer 2: Business logic validation added
• Layer 3: Environment guards added (if applicable)
• Layer 4: Validation gates integrated (Shannon)
• Layer 5: Debug instrumentation + Serena logging
• Tested each layer independently
• Verified bypass attempts caught
• All tests pass
• Coverage tracked in Serena

The Bottom Line

One layer = fixed the bug. Five layers = made it impossible.

Shannon's quantitative tracking + validation gates makes defense-in-depth measurable and verifiable.

Not "seems solid" - proven solid through multi-layer verification.