From bb1e1b3d18b0fbefce1e12aa19e9e593e838ef7e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: M3gA-Mind <elvin@tinyhumans.ai>
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 05:03:27 +0530
Subject: [PATCH] fix(validate): a loop on a side path no longer bounds a cycle
 that bypasses it

The unbounded-cycle check accepted a cycle as bounded when any loop node
lay anywhere on it. A loop hanging off a side path (b -> l -> c) left the
direct b -> c -> b cycle with no pass count, and validation accepted it.

A cycle is now bounded only when its back-edge touches a loop node, or
no path from its head back to its tail avoids every loop node.
---
 .../loop_tests/loop_tests_part_01_tests.rs    | 38 ++++++++++++++++
 crates/tinyflows/src/validate/loops.rs        | 44 ++++++++++++++++---
 2 files changed, 76 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/crates/tinyflows/src/loop_tests/loop_tests_part_01_tests.rs b/crates/tinyflows/src/loop_tests/loop_tests_part_01_tests.rs
index 8f0593a1..c30e4f4b 100644
--- a/crates/tinyflows/src/loop_tests/loop_tests_part_01_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/tinyflows/src/loop_tests/loop_tests_part_01_tests.rs
@@ -239,3 +239,41 @@ fn a_merge_outside_the_cycle_is_accepted() {
     };
     assert_eq!(validate_all(&graph), Vec::new());
 }
+
+/// A `loop` node that hangs off the cycle on a side path does not bound it: the
+/// direct `b -> c -> b` cycle never passes through the loop, so it spins with no
+/// pass count. Refuse it like any other unbounded cycle.
+#[test]
+fn loop_on_side_path_does_not_bound_a_bypass_cycle() {
+    let graph = WorkflowGraph {
+        nodes: vec![
+            node("t", NodeKind::Trigger),
+            node("b", NodeKind::OutputParser),
+            node("c", NodeKind::OutputParser),
+            node_cfg(
+                "l",
+                NodeKind::Loop,
+                serde_json::json!({ "max_iterations": 2 }),
+            ),
+            node("work", NodeKind::OutputParser),
+        ],
+        edges: vec![
+            edge_on("t", "main", "b"),
+            edge_on("b", "main", "c"),
+            edge_on("c", "main", "b"),
+            edge_on("b", "main", "l"),
+            edge_on("l", "body", "work"),
+            edge_on("work", "main", "l"),
+            edge_on("l", "done", "c"),
+        ],
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
+
+    let errors = validate_all(&graph);
+    assert!(
+        errors
+            .iter()
+            .any(|error| matches!(error, ValidationError::IllegalCycle(_))),
+        "the b <-> c cycle bypasses the loop and must be refused: {errors:?}"
+    );
+}
diff --git a/crates/tinyflows/src/validate/loops.rs b/crates/tinyflows/src/validate/loops.rs
index 01493cd5..9e1f9d65 100644
--- a/crates/tinyflows/src/validate/loops.rs
+++ b/crates/tinyflows/src/validate/loops.rs
@@ -181,16 +181,48 @@ pub(super) fn validate_loops(graph: &WorkflowGraph, errors: &mut Vec<ValidationE
         })
     });
     if !has_run_level_bound {
+        let is_loop = |id: &str| {
+            graph
+                .nodes
+                .iter()
+                .any(|n| n.id == id && n.kind == NodeKind::Loop)
+        };
         for (from, to) in &loop_edges {
-            let bounded = nodes_on_cycle(graph, to, from).into_iter().any(|id| {
-                graph
-                    .nodes
-                    .iter()
-                    .any(|n| n.id == id && n.kind == NodeKind::Loop)
-            });
+            // A `loop` merely *on* the cycle is not enough: a side path through
+            // it leaves a direct `to -> from` path that never counts a pass.
+            // The cycle is bounded only when the loop sits on every way round.
+            let bounded = is_loop(to) || is_loop(from) || !path_avoiding(graph, to, from, is_loop);
             if !bounded {
                 errors.push(ValidationError::IllegalCycle(to.clone()));
             }
         }
     }
 }
+
+/// Whether `target` is reachable from `start` without passing through a node
+/// `skip` matches. `start` and `target` themselves are never skipped.
+fn path_avoiding(
+    graph: &WorkflowGraph,
+    start: &str,
+    target: &str,
+    skip: impl Fn(&str) -> bool,
+) -> bool {
+    let mut seen = HashSet::new();
+    let mut stack = vec![start];
+    while let Some(node) = stack.pop() {
+        if node == target {
+            return true;
+        }
+        if !seen.insert(node) || (node != start && skip(node)) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        stack.extend(
+            graph
+                .edges
+                .iter()
+                .filter(|edge| edge.from_node == node)
+                .map(|edge| edge.to_node.as_str()),
+        );
+    }
+    false
+}