feat(TASK-020): finding-verifier + step-runner fail-closed hardening

finding-verifier: parse gains max_attempts 2 + parse_failure capture +
fallback to a new parse_fault marker that rewrites verdicts to a single
UNVERIFIABLE PIPELINE-FAULT entry and continues to done (sentinel
preserved — the caller's verify lane degrades instead of dying);
verify_one gains a branch-local verify_fault marker normalizing the
engine failure text into a schema-conformant UNVERIFIABLE verdict.

step-runner: implement gains fallback end_failure (no retry — reruns
against a mutated tree are unsafe; STEP_FAILED renders the failure via
coder_result); independent_review gains fallback write_handoff with the
handoff instructions and route_review treating an "Agent node failed:"
review_report as review-did-not-run (fail-visible, guard ahead of the
🔴 grep); orient/edge_case_sweep/write_handoff capture their failure
text via state_updates, shrinking the bundled fallback-capture warning
baseline back to zero.

R5 tests: fault-marker normalization + crash paths (raw non-JSON
GRAPH_STATE), route_review.sh fault/critical/clean routing via bash+jq,
and structural wiring tests pinning fallbacks, sentinels, and
end_failure's initial_state-backed template keys.

assets/agents/finding-verifier/graph.yaml

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ initial_state:
   verdicts: []
   gate_feedback: ''
   gate_attempts: 0
+  parse_failure: ''
 
 start: parse
 
@@ -92,8 +93,20 @@ nodes:
           type: string
           description: Repository directory named in the request (echo the prompt default when none).
       required: [findings_list, project_dir]
+    max_attempts: 2
+    state_updates:
+      parse_failure: '{{output}}'
+    fallback: parse_fault
     next: verify_each
 
+  parse_fault:
+    id: parse_fault
+    type: script
+    description: Fail-closed marker for a dead parse stage (reached only via parse's fallback) — rewrites `verdicts` to a single UNVERIFIABLE PIPELINE-FAULT entry and jumps straight to done, so the FINDING_VERIFIER_RESULTS sentinel still renders and the caller's verify lane degrades instead of dying.
+    script: scripts/parse_fault.py
+    timeout: 30
+    next: done
+
   verify_each:
     id: verify_each
     type: map
@@ -165,6 +178,7 @@ nodes:
     max_attempts: 2
     state_updates:
       verdict: '{{output}}'
+    fallback: verify_fault
     next: verdict_gate
 
   verdict_gate:
@@ -174,6 +188,13 @@ nodes:
     script: scripts/verdict_gate.py
     timeout: 30
 
+  verify_fault:
+    id: verify_fault
+    type: script
+    description: Fail-closed marker for a dead verify branch (reached only via verify_one's fallback; branch-local). Normalizes the engine's failure text in `verdict` into a schema-conformant UNVERIFIABLE verdict the map collects — a dead verifier lane never sinks the whole map or masquerades as verified.
+    script: scripts/verify_fault.py
+    timeout: 30
+
   done:
     id: done
     type: end

assets/agents/finding-verifier/scripts/parse_fault.py

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Fail-closed marker for a dead parse stage of the finding-verifier graph.
+
+Reached ONLY via parse's `fallback:` route. parse's state_updates wrote an
+"LLM node …failed: <chain>" string into `parse_failure` before routing here;
+this node rewrites `verdicts` to a single schema-conformant UNVERIFIABLE
+entry naming the fault and the graph jumps straight to `done` — the
+FINDING_VERIFIER_RESULTS sentinel still renders, so the caller (e.g.
+code-reviewer's verify lane) degrades instead of dying. Findings that were
+never extracted cannot be verified; the caller's "UNVERIFIABLE = keep the
+finding, marked unverified" semantics do the right thing with the entry.
+"""
+
+import json
+import os
+
+MAX_DETAIL_CHARS = 500
+
+
+def load_state():
+    if path := os.environ.get("GRAPH_STATE_FILE"):
+        with open(path) as f:
+            return json.load(f)
+    return json.loads(os.environ.get("GRAPH_STATE", "{}"))
+
+
+def fault_verdicts(detail):
+    return {
+        "verdicts": [
+            {
+                "id": "pipeline-fault",
+                "verdict": "UNVERIFIABLE",
+                "evidence": "",
+                "note": (
+                    "PIPELINE-FAULT: parse failed — findings could not be extracted "
+                    f"from the verification request; no finding was verified: {detail}"
+                ),
+            }
+        ]
+    }
+
+
+def main():
+    state = load_state()
+    raw = state.get("parse_failure")
+    detail = raw.strip().replace("\n", " ") if isinstance(raw, str) else ""
+    if not detail.startswith("LLM node"):
+        detail = "the parse stage died without recording a failure detail"
+    if len(detail) > MAX_DETAIL_CHARS:
+        detail = detail[: MAX_DETAIL_CHARS - 1] + "…"
+    print(json.dumps(fault_verdicts(detail)))
+
+
+try:
+    main()
+except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001 — the fault marker itself must never crash
+    print(json.dumps(fault_verdicts(f"fault-marker script error: {e}")))

assets/agents/finding-verifier/scripts/verify_fault.py

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Fail-closed marker for a dead verify branch of the finding-verifier graph.
+
+Reached ONLY via verify_one's `fallback:` route inside the map branch.
+Grounded in engine behavior: on llm-node failure the engine writes
+"LLM node failed: <chain>" into `verdict` via the node's state_updates
+BEFORE routing to the fallback, so the raw failure text is already in
+state. This node normalizes it into a schema-conformant UNVERIFIABLE
+verdict (authoritative id stamped from the finding item, mirroring
+verdict_gate.py) and the chain ends there — the map collects a valid
+verdict, so a dead verifier lane never sinks the whole map or masquerades
+as verified.
+"""
+
+import json
+import os
+
+MAX_DETAIL_CHARS = 500
+
+
+def load_state():
+    if path := os.environ.get("GRAPH_STATE_FILE"):
+        with open(path) as f:
+            return json.load(f)
+    return json.loads(os.environ.get("GRAPH_STATE", "{}"))
+
+
+def finding_id(state):
+    finding = state.get("finding")
+    if isinstance(finding, dict):
+        fid = finding.get("id")
+        if isinstance(fid, str) and fid.strip():
+            return fid.strip()
+    return "unknown"
+
+
+def fault_verdict(fid, detail):
+    return {
+        "verdict": {
+            "id": fid,
+            "verdict": "UNVERIFIABLE",
+            "evidence": "",
+            "note": f"PIPELINE-FAULT: verifier lane failed after retries — {detail}",
+        }
+    }
+
+
+def main():
+    state = load_state()
+    fid = finding_id(state)
+    raw = state.get("verdict")
+    detail = raw.strip().replace("\n", " ") if isinstance(raw, str) else ""
+    if not detail.startswith("LLM node"):
+        detail = "the verifier lane died without recording a failure detail"
+    if len(detail) > MAX_DETAIL_CHARS:
+        detail = detail[: MAX_DETAIL_CHARS - 1] + "…"
+    print(json.dumps(fault_verdict(fid, detail)))
+
+
+try:
+    main()
+except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001 — the fault marker itself must never crash
+    print(json.dumps(fault_verdict("unknown", f"fault-marker script error: {e}")))

assets/agents/step-runner/graph.yaml

@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ initial_state:
   plan_summary: ''
   implementation_brief: ''
   staleness_report: ''
+  orient_failure: ''
   has_major_deviation: false
   deviation_summary: ''
   user_feedback: ''
@@ -80,12 +81,14 @@ initial_state:
   tests_output: ''
   edge_case_report: ''
   downstream_updates: ''
+  sweep_failure: ''
   needs_independent_review: false
   review_report: ''
   review_attempts: 0
   max_review_attempts: 1
   handoff_attempts: 0
   handoff_fix: ''
+  handoff_failure: ''
   step_summary: ''
 
 start: resolve_step
@@ -191,6 +194,8 @@ nodes:
           has_major_deviation,
           deviation_summary,
         ]
+    state_updates:
+      orient_failure: '{{output}}'
     fallback: end_failure
     next: route_staleness
 
@@ -270,6 +275,12 @@ nodes:
     timeout: 3600
     state_updates:
       coder_result: '{{output}}'
+    # No max_attempts: rerunning a coder that died mid-edit against an
+    # already-mutated tree is unsafe. On failure the "Agent node failed:"
+    # text lands in coder_result (via state_updates above) and end_failure
+    # renders it; end_failure's other keys all have initial_state defaults,
+    # so the STEP_FAILED output degrades to empty build/tests sections.
+    fallback: end_failure
     next: route_coder_result
 
   route_coder_result:
@@ -376,6 +387,8 @@ nodes:
         needs_independent_review:
           type: boolean
       required: [edge_case_report, downstream_updates, needs_independent_review]
+    state_updates:
+      sweep_failure: '{{output}}'
     fallback: write_handoff
     next: route_sweep
 
@@ -408,6 +421,7 @@ nodes:
     max_attempts: 2
     state_updates:
       review_report: '{{output}}'
+    fallback: write_handoff
     next: route_review
 
   route_review:
@@ -451,6 +465,15 @@ nodes:
 
       If "Gate feedback" below is non-empty, a previous handoff attempt
       failed validation - fix exactly what it lists.
+
+      PIPELINE-FAULT VISIBILITY: an "Independent review report" below that
+      starts with "Agent node failed:" means the independent review DID NOT
+      RUN - the graph routed here through the reviewer's failure fallback.
+      Never present that text as review findings. Flag it prominently
+      instead: add a Deviations entry "PIPELINE-FAULT: independent review
+      did not run - <failure text>", repeat it under Notes for next step,
+      and carry it into `step_summary` so the user sees it at the approval
+      gate.
     prompt: |
       ## Step
       {{step_number}} ({{step_title}}) - plan at {{step_plan_path}}
@@ -502,6 +525,8 @@ nodes:
           type: string
           description: 3-6 sentence summary of the step for the user's approval decision - what was done, deviations, anything needing their attention
       required: [step_summary]
+    state_updates:
+      handoff_failure: '{{output}}'
     fallback: end_failure
     next: check_handoff
 

assets/agents/step-runner/scripts/route_review.sh

@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ review_report=$(echo "$state" | jq -r '.review_report // ""')
 review_attempts=$(echo "$state" | jq -r '.review_attempts // 0')
 max_review_attempts=$(echo "$state" | jq -r '.max_review_attempts // 1')
 
+# Fail-visible guard: a review_report holding the engine's "Agent node
+# failed:" text means the independent review DID NOT RUN (its fallback
+# normally routes straight to write_handoff, bypassing this script). Never
+# treat that text as findings or spend a fix-loop attempt on it -
+# write_handoff flags the fault prominently in the handoff instead.
+if [[ "$review_report" == "Agent node failed:"* ]]; then
+  jq -nc '{"_next": "write_handoff"}'
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 if ! grep -qF "🔴" <<< "$review_report"; then
   jq -nc '{"_next": "write_handoff"}'
   exit 0