fix(cli): make the per-env approval gate fail closed

Review #2 (MEDIUM). The M3 `[project.environments]` approval gate silently
failed open in three shapes:

- `EnvPolicy.confirm` was `#[serde(default)]`, so `production = {}` parsed as
  un-gated. `confirm` is now a REQUIRED field — an env listed with an empty
  policy is a load error (`missing field 'confirm'`), not a silent no-gate.
- `pic apply --file <leaf>` where the leaf carried no `[project]` skipped the
  gate even when the repo root gated the env. `run` now discovers the governing
  `[project]` by walking up from the manifest to the nearest ancestor
  `picloud.toml` that declares one (`find_governing_project`, loaded without the
  env overlay — only the block matters).
- A `[project].environments` in a non-root manifest under `--dir` was dropped
  with a generic "ignored" note; `build_tree` now warns explicitly that its
  approval gating is not enforced.

Pinned by `tests/env_approval.rs` (empty-policy load error; leaf `--file` apply
honoring the root gate).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

crates/picloud-cli/src/cmds/apply.rs

@@ -29,7 +29,14 @@ pub async fn run(
     let client = Client::from_creds(&creds)?;
 
     let manifest = Manifest::load_with_env(manifest_path, env)?;
-    require_env_approval(manifest.project.as_ref(), env, approve)?;
+    // §3 M3: the env-approval gate is a property of the PROJECT, which lives at
+    // the repo root. A leaf manifest carries no `[project]`, so find the
+    // governing one (own block, else the nearest ancestor's) before gating.
+    let governing = manifest
+        .project
+        .clone()
+        .or_else(|| find_governing_project(manifest_path));
+    require_env_approval(governing.as_ref(), env, approve)?;
     let base_dir = manifest_path.parent().unwrap_or_else(|| Path::new("."));
     let bundle = build_bundle(&manifest, base_dir)?;
     let kind = if manifest.is_group() {
@@ -233,6 +240,21 @@ pub async fn run_tree(
 /// (`[project.environments]` with `confirm = true`) unless it was explicitly
 /// `--approve <e>`d. A blanket `--yes` does NOT cover a gated env (§4.2 "CI must
 /// opt in per environment"). An unlisted or `confirm = false` env applies freely.
+/// §3 M3: find the `[project]` that governs a single-file apply. The applied
+/// manifest's own block wins (the caller checks that first); otherwise walk up
+/// from its directory to the nearest ancestor `picloud.toml` that declares one
+/// (the repo root), so `pic apply --file services/api/picloud.toml` still
+/// honors the repo's env-approval gate. Loaded WITHOUT the env overlay — only
+/// the `[project]` block matters here, and `load_with_env` would require an
+/// overlay next to every ancestor and spuriously skip the governing manifest.
+fn find_governing_project(manifest_path: &Path) -> Option<ManifestProject> {
+    let dir = manifest_path.parent()?;
+    dir.ancestors().skip(1).find_map(|anc| {
+        let candidate = anc.join(crate::manifest::MANIFEST_FILE);
+        Manifest::load(&candidate).ok().and_then(|m| m.project)
+    })
+}
+
 fn require_env_approval(
     project: Option<&ManifestProject>,
     env: Option<&str>,

crates/picloud-cli/src/discover.rs

@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ pub fn build_tree(
                     path.display(),
                     root_manifest.display()
                 );
+                // §3 M3: a non-root [project] that carries env-approval policy is
+                // a silent-safety trap — the gate is dropped with the block. Call
+                // it out explicitly so a misplaced gate isn't mistaken for active.
+                if !p.environments.is_empty() {
+                    eprintln!(
+                        "warning: its [project.environments] approval gating is NOT enforced — \
+                         only the tree root's [project] governs env approval"
+                    );
+                }
             }
         }
         loaded.push((path.clone(), manifest));

crates/picloud-cli/src/manifest.rs

@@ -296,8 +296,11 @@ pub struct ManifestProject {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(deny_unknown_fields)]
 pub struct EnvPolicy {
-    /// Require an explicit `--approve <env>` to apply to this env.
+    /// Require an explicit `--approve <env>` to apply to this env. NOT
-    #[serde(default)]
+    /// `#[serde(default)]`: an env listed with an empty policy (`prod = {}`)
+    /// must fail to load (`missing field 'confirm'`) rather than silently
+    /// parse as un-gated — listing an env to protect it, then having the gate
+    /// quietly absent, is the failure mode to avoid.
     pub confirm: bool,
 }
 

crates/picloud-cli/tests/env_approval.rs

@@ -90,3 +90,117 @@ fn confirm_required_env_needs_explicit_approve() {
         "an un-gated env must apply without --approve"
     );
 }
+
+#[ignore = "needs DATABASE_URL pointing at a running Postgres"]
+#[test]
+fn an_env_listed_with_an_empty_policy_is_a_hard_error() {
+    // `production = {}` (no `confirm`) must FAIL to load, not silently parse as
+    // un-gated — you can't half-declare a gate. `confirm` is a required field.
+    let Some(fx) = common::fixture_or_skip() else {
+        return;
+    };
+    let env = common::admin_env(fx);
+    let group = common::unique_slug("eae-grp");
+    let project = common::unique_slug("eae-proj");
+    let _g = GroupGuard::new(&env.url, &env.token, &group);
+
+    let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let manifest = dir.path().join("picloud.toml");
+    fs::write(
+        &manifest,
+        format!(
+            "[project]\nslug = \"{project}\"\n\n\
+             [project.environments]\nproduction = {{}}\n\n\
+             [group]\nslug = \"{group}\"\nname = \"Empty Policy\"\n"
+        ),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    fs::write(dir.path().join("picloud.production.toml"), "# overlay\n").unwrap();
+
+    let out = common::pic_as(&env)
+        .args(["apply", "--file"])
+        .arg(&manifest)
+        .args(["--env", "production"])
+        .output()
+        .expect("apply");
+    assert!(
+        !out.status.success(),
+        "an env with an empty policy must be a load error, not a silent no-gate"
+    );
+    let err = String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr).to_lowercase();
+    assert!(
+        err.contains("confirm"),
+        "the error must name the missing `confirm` field:\n{err}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[ignore = "needs DATABASE_URL pointing at a running Postgres"]
+#[test]
+fn leaf_file_apply_honors_the_root_env_gate() {
+    // `pic apply --file <leaf>` where the leaf carries no `[project]` still
+    // honors the gate declared in the repo root (found by walking up).
+    let Some(fx) = common::fixture_or_skip() else {
+        return;
+    };
+    let env = common::admin_env(fx);
+    let base = common::unique_slug("eal-base");
+    let leaf = common::unique_slug("eal-leaf");
+    let project = common::unique_slug("eal-proj");
+    let _b = GroupGuard::new(&env.url, &env.token, &base);
+    let _l = GroupGuard::new(&env.url, &env.token, &leaf);
+    common::pic_as(&env)
+        .args(["groups", "create", &base])
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+    common::pic_as(&env)
+        .args(["groups", "create", &leaf, "--parent", &base])
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+
+    // Root manifest carries the gating `[project]`; the leaf (in a subdir) has
+    // no `[project]` of its own and is applied on its own with `--file`.
+    let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    fs::write(
+        dir.path().join("picloud.toml"),
+        format!(
+            "[project]\nslug = \"{project}\"\n\n\
+             [project.environments]\nproduction = {{ confirm = true }}\n\n\
+             [group]\nslug = \"{base}\"\nname = \"Base\"\n"
+        ),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    let sub = dir.path().join("sub");
+    fs::create_dir_all(&sub).unwrap();
+    let leaf_manifest = sub.join("picloud.toml");
+    fs::write(
+        &leaf_manifest,
+        format!("[group]\nslug = \"{leaf}\"\nname = \"Leaf\"\n"),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    fs::write(sub.join("picloud.production.toml"), "# overlay\n").unwrap();
+
+    // Without --approve: refused, because the gate is discovered up-tree.
+    let out = common::pic_as(&env)
+        .args(["apply", "--file"])
+        .arg(&leaf_manifest)
+        .args(["--env", "production"])
+        .output()
+        .expect("apply");
+    assert!(
+        !out.status.success(),
+        "a leaf --file apply must honor the root's env gate"
+    );
+    let err = String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr).to_lowercase();
+    assert!(
+        err.contains("approve") && err.contains("production"),
+        "the refusal must point at --approve production:\n{err}"
+    );
+
+    // With --approve production: passes the gate and applies (leaf pre-exists).
+    common::pic_as(&env)
+        .args(["apply", "--file"])
+        .arg(&leaf_manifest)
+        .args(["--env", "production", "--approve", "production"])
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+}