fix(gbrain): quote cmd.exe arguments at a single gbrain invocation seam

Fixes #2471. With shell:true on Windows, node/bun join argv into one cmd.exe
string without quoting, so a repo path with a space — the default
C:\Users\First Last\ layout — split into two arguments and every gbrain call
carrying a path silently targeted the wrong location (worst: `sources add
--path`). All gbrain CLI invocations now build their (cmd, argv, shell)
triple through gbrainInvocation(), which quotes risky arguments for cmd.exe's
re-parse (embedded quotes doubled). The four direct spawn sites in
lib/gbrain-sources.ts route through the seam; the #1731 static invariant is
upgraded for seamed files (any direct "gbrain" opener is the violation) and
kept as-is for lib/gbrain-local-status.ts. POSIX behavior unchanged
(shell:false, passthrough argv).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

lib/gbrain-exec.ts

@@ -196,6 +196,33 @@ export function bashScriptInvocation(
   return { cmd: bash, argv: [scriptPath.replace(/\\/g, "/"), ...args], shell: false };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Quote one argument for cmd.exe's re-parse (#2471). With `shell: true` on
+ * Windows, Node/Bun JOIN the argv into a single cmd.exe string WITHOUT
+ * quoting, so any argument containing a space — the default
+ * `C:\Users\First Last\repo` home layout — splits into two arguments and the
+ * gbrain call silently targets the wrong path. Pass-through for the safe
+ * charset; everything else is double-quoted with embedded quotes doubled
+ * (cmd.exe's escape). POSIX callers never see this (shell is false there).
+ */
+export function windowsShellQuote(arg: string): string {
+  if (arg !== "" && /^[A-Za-z0-9_\-.:\\/=,@+]+$/.test(arg)) return arg;
+  return '"' + arg.replace(/"/g, '""') + '"';
+}
+
+/**
+ * The single seam for building a gbrain CLI invocation (#2471). Every
+ * spawnSync/execFileSync of the `gbrain` shim must construct its
+ * (cmd, argv, shell) triple here so the Windows quoting fix lives in exactly
+ * one place — a direct spawn of the literal "gbrain" string with a shell
+ * flag reopens the space-in-path split this exists to close.
+ */
+export function gbrainInvocation(args: string[]): { cmd: string; argv: string[]; shell: boolean } {
+  return NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS
+    ? { cmd: "gbrain", argv: args.map(windowsShellQuote), shell: true }
+    : { cmd: "gbrain", argv: args, shell: false };
+}
+
 export interface SpawnGbrainOptions {
   /** Timeout in milliseconds. Defaults to 30s. */
   timeout?: number;
@@ -219,13 +246,14 @@ export interface SpawnGbrainOptions {
  * `stderr` exactly as they would with `spawnSync` directly.
  */
 export function spawnGbrain(args: string[], opts: SpawnGbrainOptions = {}): SpawnSyncReturns<string> {
-  return spawnSync("gbrain", args, {
+  const inv = gbrainInvocation(args);
+  return spawnSync(inv.cmd, inv.argv, {
     encoding: "utf-8",
     timeout: opts.timeout ?? 30_000,
     cwd: opts.cwd,
     stdio: opts.stdio || ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
     env: buildGbrainEnv({ baseEnv: opts.baseEnv, announce: opts.announce }),
-    shell: NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows
+    shell: inv.shell, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows (+#2471 quoting)
   });
 }
 
@@ -254,11 +282,12 @@ export function spawnGbrainAsync(
   args: string[],
   opts: { stdio?: SpawnOptions["stdio"]; cwd?: string; baseEnv?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv } = {},
 ): ChildProcess {
-  return spawn("gbrain", args, {
+  const inv = gbrainInvocation(args);
+  return spawn(inv.cmd, inv.argv, {
     stdio: opts.stdio || ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
     cwd: opts.cwd,
     env: buildGbrainEnv({ baseEnv: opts.baseEnv, announce: false }),
-    shell: NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows
+    shell: inv.shell, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows (+#2471 quoting)
   });
 }
 
@@ -267,12 +296,13 @@ export function spawnGbrainAsync(
  * for callers that want to surface gbrain's stderr as the error message.
  */
 export function execGbrainText(args: string[], opts: SpawnGbrainOptions = {}): string {
-  return execFileSync("gbrain", args, {
+  const inv = gbrainInvocation(args);
+  return execFileSync(inv.cmd, inv.argv, {
     encoding: "utf-8",
     timeout: opts.timeout ?? 30_000,
     cwd: opts.cwd,
     stdio: opts.stdio || ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
     env: buildGbrainEnv({ baseEnv: opts.baseEnv, announce: opts.announce }),
-    shell: NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows
+    shell: inv.shell, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows (+#2471 quoting)
   });
 }

lib/gbrain-sources.ts

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 import { execFileSync, spawnSync } from "child_process";
 import { realpathSync } from "fs";
 import { withErrorContext } from "./gstack-memory-helpers";
-import { execGbrainJson, NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS } from "./gbrain-exec";
+import { execGbrainJson, gbrainInvocation } from "./gbrain-exec";
 import {
   detectAutopilot,
   decideSourceRemove,
@@ -117,12 +117,13 @@ function samePath(registered: string | undefined, requested: string): boolean {
 export function probeSource(id: string, env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): SourceState {
   let stdout: string;
   try {
-    stdout = execFileSync("gbrain", ["sources", "list", "--json"], {
+    const inv = gbrainInvocation(["sources", "list", "--json"]);
+    stdout = execFileSync(inv.cmd, inv.argv, {
       encoding: "utf-8",
       timeout: 30_000,
       stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
       env,
-      shell: NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows
+      shell: inv.shell, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows (+#2471 quoting)
     });
   } catch (err) {
     const e = err as NodeJS.ErrnoException & { stderr?: Buffer };
@@ -224,29 +225,28 @@ export async function ensureSourceRegistered(
         throw new Error(`refusing drift re-register of ${id}: ${decision.reason}`);
       }
 
-      const rm = spawnSync(
+      const rmInv = gbrainInvocation(["sources", "remove", id, "--yes", "--confirm-destructive", ...decision.extraArgs]);
-        "gbrain",
+      const rm = spawnSync(rmInv.cmd, rmInv.argv, {
-        ["sources", "remove", id, "--yes", "--confirm-destructive", ...decision.extraArgs],
+        encoding: "utf-8",
-        {
+        timeout: 30_000,
-          encoding: "utf-8",
+        env,
-          timeout: 30_000,
+        shell: rmInv.shell, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows (+#2471 quoting)
-          env,
+      });
-          shell: NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows
-        },
-      );
       if (rm.status !== 0) {
         throw new Error(`gbrain sources remove ${id} failed: ${rm.stderr || rm.stdout || `exit ${rm.status}`}`);
       }
     }
 
-    // Add.
+    // Add. `path` is a user repo path — the #2471 space-in-path victim; the
+    // invocation seam quotes it for cmd.exe's re-parse.
     const addArgs = ["sources", "add", id, "--path", path];
     if (federated) addArgs.push("--federated");
-    const add = spawnSync("gbrain", addArgs, {
+    const addInv = gbrainInvocation(addArgs);
+    const add = spawnSync(addInv.cmd, addInv.argv, {
       encoding: "utf-8",
       timeout: 30_000,
       env,
-      shell: NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows
+      shell: addInv.shell, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows (+#2471 quoting)
     });
     if (add.status !== 0) {
       throw new Error(`gbrain sources add ${id} failed: ${add.stderr || add.stdout || `exit ${add.status}`}`);
@@ -267,12 +267,13 @@ export async function ensureSourceRegistered(
 export function sourcePageCount(id: string, env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): number | null {
   let stdout: string;
   try {
-    stdout = execFileSync("gbrain", ["sources", "list", "--json"], {
+    const inv = gbrainInvocation(["sources", "list", "--json"]);
+    stdout = execFileSync(inv.cmd, inv.argv, {
       encoding: "utf-8",
       timeout: 30_000,
       stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
       env,
-      shell: NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows
+      shell: inv.shell, // #1731: gbrain is a .cmd shim on Windows (+#2471 quoting)
     });
   } catch {
     return null;

test/gbrain-spawn-windows-shell.test.ts

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { describe, test, expect } from "bun:test";
 import * as fs from "fs";
 import * as path from "path";
 
-import { bashScriptInvocation } from "../lib/gbrain-exec";
+import { bashScriptInvocation, gbrainInvocation, windowsShellQuote } from "../lib/gbrain-exec";
 
 const ROOT = path.resolve(import.meta.dir, "..");
 const read = (rel: string) => fs.readFileSync(path.join(ROOT, rel), "utf-8");
@@ -18,24 +18,30 @@ describe("#1731 gbrain spawns carry the Windows shell flag", () => {
     expect(src).toMatch(/export const NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS\s*=\s*process\.platform === "win32"/);
   });
 
-  // Every direct `gbrain` child spawn in these files must be matched by a
+  // #2471 upgraded the #1731 invariant for the seamed files: gbrain spawns
-  // shell:NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS flag. Count openers vs flags as a cheap,
+  // there must build their (cmd, argv, shell) triple via gbrainInvocation()
-  // refactor-resistant invariant.
+  // (which owns BOTH the shell flag and cmd.exe quoting), so a direct
-  const gbrainSpawnFiles = [
+  // `spawn*("gbrain"` opener is itself the violation.
-    "lib/gbrain-exec.ts",
+  const seamedFiles = ["lib/gbrain-exec.ts", "lib/gbrain-sources.ts"];
-    "lib/gbrain-sources.ts",
+  for (const rel of seamedFiles) {
-    "lib/gbrain-local-status.ts",
+    test(`${rel}: gbrain spawns route through gbrainInvocation (no direct openers)`, () => {
-  ];
-  for (const rel of gbrainSpawnFiles) {
-    test(`${rel}: every gbrain spawn has shell:NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS`, () => {
       const src = read(rel);
-      const spawnOpeners = src.match(/(spawnSync|spawn|execFileSync)\("gbrain"/g)?.length ?? 0;
+      const directOpeners = src.match(/(spawnSync|spawn|execFileSync)\(\s*["']gbrain["']/g)?.length ?? 0;
-      const shellFlags = src.match(/shell:\s*NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS/g)?.length ?? 0;
+      expect(directOpeners).toBe(0);
-      expect(spawnOpeners).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      expect(src).toContain("gbrainInvocation(");
-      expect(shellFlags).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(spawnOpeners);
     });
   }
 
+  // Not-yet-seamed file: every direct gbrain spawn must still carry the
+  // #1731 shell flag. (Migrate to gbrainInvocation when next touched.)
+  test("lib/gbrain-local-status.ts: every gbrain spawn has shell:NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS", () => {
+    const src = read("lib/gbrain-local-status.ts");
+    const spawnOpeners = src.match(/(spawnSync|spawn|execFileSync)\("gbrain"/g)?.length ?? 0;
+    const shellFlags = src.match(/shell:\s*NEEDS_SHELL_ON_WINDOWS/g)?.length ?? 0;
+    expect(spawnOpeners).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(shellFlags).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(spawnOpeners);
+  });
+
   // NOT the brain-sync script. `shell: true` is right for the gbrain.cmd shim
   // and wrong for a bash shebang script: cmd.exe resolves .cmd/.bat via PATHEXT
   // and has no concept of a shebang, so gstack-brain-sync came back as "is not
@@ -115,3 +121,46 @@ describe("bashScriptInvocation", () => {
     expect(inv).toBeNull();
   });
 });
+
+// #2471: with `shell: true` on Windows, node/bun JOIN argv into one cmd.exe
+// string without quoting — a path with a space (`C:\Users\First Last\repo`)
+// splits into two arguments and `gbrain sources add --path` targets the wrong
+// directory. The invocation seam quotes every risky argument exactly once.
+describe("#2471 gbrain invocation seam quotes for cmd.exe", () => {
+  test("safe charset passes through untouched", () => {
+    expect(windowsShellQuote("sources")).toBe("sources");
+    expect(windowsShellQuote("--json")).toBe("--json");
+    expect(windowsShellQuote("C:\\Users\\j\\repo")).toBe("C:\\Users\\j\\repo");
+  });
+
+  test("a path with a space is double-quoted", () => {
+    expect(windowsShellQuote("C:\\Users\\First Last\\repo")).toBe('"C:\\Users\\First Last\\repo"');
+  });
+
+  test("embedded quotes are doubled (cmd.exe escape)", () => {
+    expect(windowsShellQuote('we"ird')).toBe('"we""ird"');
+  });
+
+  test("empty argument stays a quoted empty string, not vanishing", () => {
+    expect(windowsShellQuote("")).toBe('""');
+  });
+
+  test("shell metacharacters are wrapped so cmd.exe cannot interpret them", () => {
+    for (const bad of ["a b", "a&b", "a|b", "a>b", "a<b", "a^b", "a(b)", "a;b"]) {
+      expect(windowsShellQuote(bad).startsWith('"')).toBe(true);
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("gbrainInvocation on POSIX is a passthrough with shell:false", () => {
+    if (process.platform === "win32") return; // the win32 half is the map+quote path above
+    const inv = gbrainInvocation(["sources", "add", "id", "--path", "/a dir/with space"]);
+    expect(inv).toEqual({ cmd: "gbrain", argv: ["sources", "add", "id", "--path", "/a dir/with space"], shell: false });
+  });
+
+  test("no direct un-seamed gbrain spawn remains in gbrain-sources.ts", () => {
+    const src = read("lib/gbrain-sources.ts");
+    expect(src).not.toMatch(/spawnSync\(\s*["']gbrain["']/);
+    expect(src).not.toMatch(/execFileSync\(\s*["']gbrain["']/);
+    expect(src).toContain("gbrainInvocation(");
+  });
+});