fix(diagnostics): gate traceparent propagation on trusted metadata

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Diagnostics/OTEL: keep model-usage span GenAI provider attributes aligned with the existing semantic-convention opt-in policy, using legacy `gen_ai.system` unless latest experimental GenAI conventions are enabled. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Diagnostics/OTEL: keep `gen_ai.request.model` present on GenAI token usage metrics with a bounded `unknown` fallback when model usage events do not include a model. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Docs/OTEL: document the GenAI token and model-call duration metrics, model-usage span attributes, and `OTEL_SEMCONV_STABILITY_OPT_IN=gen_ai_latest_experimental` provider-attribute behavior. Thanks @vincentkoc.
+- Diagnostics/trace: add an internal traceparent propagation helper that only formats trusted dispatcher metadata, keeping plugin-emitted diagnostic traces out of outbound propagation by default. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Diagnostics/OTEL: add bounded outbound message delivery lifecycle diagnostics and export them as low-cardinality delivery spans/metrics without message body, recipient, room, or media-path data. (#71471) Thanks @vincentkoc and @jlapenna.
 - Diagnostics/OTEL: emit bounded exec-process diagnostics and export them as `openclaw.exec` spans without exposing command text, working directories, or container identifiers. (#71451) Thanks @vincentkoc and @jlapenna.
 - Diagnostics/OTEL: support `OPENCLAW_OTEL_PRELOADED=1` so the plugin can reuse an already-registered OpenTelemetry SDK while keeping OpenClaw diagnostic listeners wired. (#71450) Thanks @vincentkoc and @jlapenna.

src/infra/diagnostic-events.test.ts

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import {
   emitDiagnosticEvent,
   emitTrustedDiagnosticEvent,
+  formatDiagnosticTraceparentForPropagation,
   isDiagnosticsEnabled,
   onInternalDiagnosticEvent,
   onDiagnosticEvent,
@@ -147,6 +148,32 @@ describe("diagnostic-events", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("formats traceparent for propagation only from dispatcher-trusted metadata", () => {
+    const trace = createDiagnosticTraceContext({
+      traceId: "4bf92f3577b34da6a3ce929d0e0e4736",
+      spanId: "00f067aa0ba902b7",
+      traceFlags: "01",
+    });
+    const traceparents: Array<string | undefined> = [];
+    onInternalDiagnosticEvent((event, metadata) => {
+      traceparents.push(formatDiagnosticTraceparentForPropagation(event, metadata));
+    });
+
+    emitDiagnosticEvent({
+      type: "message.queued",
+      source: "plugin",
+      trace,
+    });
+    emitTrustedDiagnosticEvent({
+      type: "model.usage",
+      usage: { total: 1 },
+      trace,
+    });
+
+    expect(traceparents).toEqual([undefined, `00-${trace.traceId}-${trace.spanId}-01`]);
+    expect(formatDiagnosticTraceparentForPropagation({ trace }, { trusted: true })).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
   it("shares diagnostic state across duplicate module instances", async () => {
     const events: string[] = [];
     onDiagnosticEvent((event) => {

src/infra/diagnostic-events.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/types.openclaw.js";
-import type { DiagnosticTraceContext } from "./diagnostic-trace-context.js";
+import {
+  formatDiagnosticTraceparent,
+  type DiagnosticTraceContext,
+} from "./diagnostic-trace-context.js";
 import { isBlockedObjectKey } from "./prototype-keys.js";
 
 export type DiagnosticSessionState = "idle" | "processing" | "waiting";
@@ -413,6 +416,7 @@ type DiagnosticEventsGlobalState = {
 
 const MAX_ASYNC_DIAGNOSTIC_EVENTS = 10_000;
 const DIAGNOSTIC_EVENTS_STATE_KEY = Symbol.for("openclaw.diagnosticEvents.state.v1");
+const dispatchedTrustedDiagnosticMetadata = new WeakSet<object>();
 const ASYNC_DIAGNOSTIC_EVENT_TYPES = new Set<DiagnosticEventPayload["type"]>([
   "tool.execution.started",
   "tool.execution.completed",
@@ -500,7 +504,10 @@ function dispatchDiagnosticEvent(
   try {
     for (const listener of state.listeners) {
       try {
-        listener(cloneDiagnosticEventForListener(enriched), Object.freeze({ ...metadata }));
+        listener(
+          cloneDiagnosticEventForListener(enriched),
+          createDiagnosticMetadataForListener(metadata),
+        );
       } catch (err) {
         const errorMessage =
           err instanceof Error
@@ -519,6 +526,16 @@ function dispatchDiagnosticEvent(
   }
 }
 
+function createDiagnosticMetadataForListener(
+  metadata: DiagnosticEventMetadata,
+): DiagnosticEventMetadata {
+  const listenerMetadata = Object.freeze({ ...metadata });
+  if (listenerMetadata.trusted) {
+    dispatchedTrustedDiagnosticMetadata.add(listenerMetadata);
+  }
+  return listenerMetadata;
+}
+
 function cloneDiagnosticEventForListener(event: DiagnosticEventPayload): DiagnosticEventPayload {
   return deepFreezeDiagnosticValue(structuredClone(event)) as DiagnosticEventPayload;
 }
@@ -623,6 +640,16 @@ export function onDiagnosticEvent(listener: (evt: DiagnosticEventPayload) => voi
   });
 }
 
+export function formatDiagnosticTraceparentForPropagation(
+  event: { trace?: DiagnosticTraceContext },
+  metadata: DiagnosticEventMetadata,
+): string | undefined {
+  if (!metadata.trusted || !dispatchedTrustedDiagnosticMetadata.has(metadata)) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  return formatDiagnosticTraceparent(event.trace);
+}
+
 export function resetDiagnosticEventsForTest(): void {
   const state = getDiagnosticEventsState();
   state.enabled = true;