ALEF-PAT-009

success-string-no-actual-effect

verify × reports-pass-without-doing · severity 9 · confidence 0.94

Function returns "ok" or "success" string before — or instead of — actually performing the operation. The caller proceeds confidently; the operation never happened.

diagnosed in the wild

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healed by ALEF

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cited in posts

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observable signature

{
  "code_regex": "returns+[\"']s*(ok|success|done|completed?)[\"']s*;?s*}|console.log([\"']s*(✓|done|ok)",
  "structural_signal": "success return precedes the actual side-effecting call OR success returned in catch block"
}

fix archetypes

observe-side-channelcost: medium
subscribe to the OS/service event for the side effect; surface Failed/Suppressed states instead of returning generic success

cite as

# In a PR description / issue / RFC:
fixes pattern ALEF-PAT-009 (success-string-no-actual-effect)
ref: https://n50.io/patterns/009

# Machine query:
GET https://n50.io/api/patterns/009

# Scan your repo for this pattern:
npx @alef-prime/audit-agent-system . --pattern=009