bug(tests): 48 mock paths target nonexistent 'src.*' package — patches silently no-op

Bug

48 calls to unittest.mock.patch("src.<module>.<symbol>") exist across 14 test files in autobot-backend/. The path prefix src. resolves to a package that doesn't exist — autobot-backend/src/ is not a directory and pytest.ini configures pythonpath = autobot-backend autobot_shared (no src parent).

Every one of these patch("src.…") calls fails with ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'src' when entered. Reproduced:

$ python3 -c "
import unittest.mock
p = unittest.mock.patch('src.secure_command_executor.execute_shell_command')
p.start()  # raises ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'src'
"

Net effect:

The patched function is never replaced, so the test exercises the real implementation.
Tests that should fail when production code regresses pass anyway, because they're not actually substituting the dependency they claim to mock.
CI doesn't catch the breakage because the with patch(...) context-manager error happens inside the test body and surfaces only if the surrounding code exercises the patched name. Many of these tests pass coincidentally (the real function returns a value the assertion happens to accept).

Affected sites (48 total)

autobot-backend/secure_command_executor_test.py                      3
autobot-backend/worker_node_test.py                                  1
autobot-backend/monitoring/performance_monitor_test.py               8
autobot-backend/performance_benchmarks.performance_test.py           5
autobot-backend/enhanced_security_layer_test.py                      3
autobot-backend/monitoring/redis_prometheus_metrics_test.py          2
autobot-backend/utils/redis_thread_safety_test.py                    4
autobot-backend/utils/file_locking_test.py                           1
autobot-backend/knowledge/code_semantic_search_test.py               6
autobot-backend/user_management/services/user_service_test.py        2
autobot-backend/security/security_edge_cases_test.py                 2
autobot-backend/security/encryption_service_test.py                  2
autobot-backend/security/security_integration_test.py                2
autobot-backend/security/auth_rbac_test.py                           3
autobot-backend/services/rag_integration_test.py                     1
autobot-backend/config/config_migration.integration_test.py          3

(Full grep output in the issue thread — grep -rn 'patch("src\.\|patch(\\'src\.' autobot-backend --include="*_test.py").

Likely cause

Older code layout had autobot-backend/src/ as a package root; a refactor flattened the tree (now autobot-backend/secure_command_executor.py etc. directly importable) but the test mock paths weren't updated.

Fix

For each site, drop the src. prefix:

# before:
with patch("src.secure_command_executor.execute_shell_command") as mock_execute:
# after:
with patch("secure_command_executor.execute_shell_command") as mock_execute:

For nested cases like src.utils.redis_client.get_redis_client, target the actual import path the file uses (utils.redis_client.get_redis_client or wherever the real from utils.redis_client import get_redis_client resolves through pytest's pythonpath).

Acceptance criteria

All 48 sites updated to working module paths
Each affected test verified to actually mock its target — temporarily make the patched function raise RuntimeError('not mocked') and confirm tests pass (i.e. patches apply)
Add a pre-commit lint or pytest hook that flags patch("src.…" patterns — prevents regression
CI green; no test that was passing on stale-mock-luck now fails (if any do, those are real regressions to address)

Severity

P1: tests can't catch regressions on the patched code paths. Security-critical files affected (enhanced_security_layer, auth_rbac, secure_command_executor, encryption_service).

fix(test/perf): migrate performance_benchmarks.performance_test.py of…

fix(test/worker): unbreak src.* mock path in worker_node_test (#6987 …

fix(test/security): unbreak 3 src.* mock paths in enhanced_security_l…

Progress update — 7 of 48 sites cleaned across 3 PRs

PR	File	Sites	Status	Discovery surfaced
#7146	`secure_command_executor_test.py`	3	open	#7147 — `SecurityPolicy.dangerous_patterns` API rot (2 tests)
#7153 ✅ merged	`worker_node_test.py`	1	merged	#7154 — response envelope `{status,message,data}` not unwrapped (2 tests)
#7160	`enhanced_security_layer_test.py`	3	open	#7161 — P1 SECURITY — 4 tests failing (frozenset, god mode, admin shell, guest perms)

11 files / 41 sites still pending. Per-file PRs is the right discipline — each file surfaces its own pre-existing rot when the mocks start firing for the first time. Round 12 confirmed: 7 sites fixed → 8 pre-existing tests started failing (3 distinct rot patterns).

Pre-commit hook follow-up

Filed as #7165 — AST-based check that flags patch("src.*") patterns. Acceptance criteria from this issue's body item 4 is now its own concrete tracker.

Sites remaining (per file)

autobot-backend/monitoring/performance_monitor_test.py            8
autobot-backend/performance_benchmarks.performance_test.py        5  (already migrated in #7131; src.* dropped)
autobot-backend/utils/redis_thread_safety_test.py                 4
autobot-backend/knowledge/code_semantic_search_test.py            6
autobot-backend/utils/file_locking_test.py                        1
autobot-backend/user_management/services/user_service_test.py     2
autobot-backend/security/security_edge_cases_test.py              2
autobot-backend/security/encryption_service_test.py               2
autobot-backend/security/security_integration_test.py             2
autobot-backend/security/auth_rbac_test.py                        3
autobot-backend/services/rag_integration_test.py                  1
autobot-backend/monitoring/redis_prometheus_metrics_test.py       2
autobot-backend/config/config_migration.integration_test.py       3

(Adjusted: performance_benchmarks 5 of original 16 already done via #7131.)

fix(tests): drop nonexistent 'src.' prefix from 43 mock paths (#6987)

fix(tests): drop nonexistent 'src.' prefix from 43 mock paths (#6987) (…

fix(test/worker): assert on envelope-wrapped result shape (#7154) (#7230

security(P1): fix 2 regressions + 2 test rots in EnhancedSecurityLayer (

fix(tests): wrap async patch return_values with AsyncMock (#7216 — 77…

fix(tests): patch get_async_redis_client at consumer namespace + Asyn…

feat(tools/lint): pre-commit hook flagging patch("src.*") mock paths (c…

fix(test/utils): patch event_manager.get_event_manager (lazy_singleto…

fix(test/notif): migrate to canonical async-redis fixture + fix wrong…

fix(test/skills): migrate LLMInterface patches to get_llm_service fac…

feat(tools/lint): broaden check_no_src_mock_path with runtime resolut…

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bug(tests): 48 mock paths target nonexistent 'src.*' package — patches silently no-op #6987

Bug

Affected sites (48 total)

Likely cause

Fix

Acceptance criteria

Severity

Progress update — 7 of 48 sites cleaned across 3 PRs

Pre-commit hook follow-up

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11 remaining items

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bug(tests): 48 mock paths target nonexistent 'src.*' package — patches silently no-op #6987

Description

Bug

Affected sites (48 total)

Likely cause

Fix

Acceptance criteria

Severity

Activity

mrveiss commented on May 7, 2026

Progress update — 7 of 48 sites cleaned across 3 PRs

Pre-commit hook follow-up

Sites remaining (per file)

11 remaining items

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Metadata

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