From db5a5f8adc00d213599918ab6a48aaa7f74c41c2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Tom Tseng <tom.hm.tseng@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:35:50 -0800
Subject: [PATCH] attacks: Make config validation skip fields with a default
 value

---
 src/tamperbench/whitebox/attacks/base.py |  9 ++-
 tests/attacks/test_config_validation.py  | 86 ++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 93 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 tests/attacks/test_config_validation.py

diff --git a/src/tamperbench/whitebox/attacks/base.py b/src/tamperbench/whitebox/attacks/base.py
index 76043d72..58ac7b68 100644
--- a/src/tamperbench/whitebox/attacks/base.py
+++ b/src/tamperbench/whitebox/attacks/base.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 import shutil
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
-from dataclasses import dataclass, fields
+from dataclasses import MISSING, dataclass, fields
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Generic, TypeVar, final
 
@@ -100,7 +100,12 @@ def _validate_dict_keys(cls, data: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         """
         config_keys: set[str] = {_field.name for _field in fields(cls) if _field.init}
 
-        for config_key in config_keys:
+        required_keys: set[str] = {
+            _field.name
+            for _field in fields(cls)
+            if _field.init and _field.default is MISSING and _field.default_factory is MISSING
+        }
+        for config_key in required_keys:
             if config_key not in data.keys():
                 raise ValueError(f"`{config_key}` is a mandatory field, and is not provided")
 
diff --git a/tests/attacks/test_config_validation.py b/tests/attacks/test_config_validation.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1795f88d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/attacks/test_config_validation.py
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+"""Tests for TamperAttackConfig._validate_dict_keys."""
+
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from typing import Any
+
+import pytest
+
+from tamperbench.whitebox.attacks.base import TamperAttackConfig
+
+
+@dataclass
+class _ConfigWithOptionalField(TamperAttackConfig):
+    optional_str: str = "default_value"
+    optional_none: int | None = None
+    optional_list: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
+
+
+def _make_base_dict() -> dict[str, Any]:
+    """Return a minimal valid dict for TamperAttackConfig."""
+    return {
+        "input_checkpoint_path": "some/model",
+        "out_dir": "/tmp/test",
+        "evals": [],
+        "model_config": {
+            "user_prefix": "User: ",
+            "assistant_prefix": "Assistant: ",
+            "end_turn": "\n",
+            "max_generation_length": 16,
+            "inference_batch_size": 1,
+        },
+        "random_seed": 42,
+    }
+
+
+class TestValidateDictKeys:
+    """Tests for _validate_dict_keys."""
+
+    def test_base_config_accepts_valid_dict(self) -> None:
+        """A dict with all required fields should pass validation."""
+        data = _make_base_dict()
+        config = TamperAttackConfig.from_dict(data)
+        assert config.input_checkpoint_path == "some/model"
+
+    def test_missing_required_field_raises(self) -> None:
+        """Omitting a required field should raise ValueError."""
+        data = _make_base_dict()
+        del data["input_checkpoint_path"]
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="mandatory field"):
+            TamperAttackConfig.from_dict(data)
+
+    def test_extra_field_raises(self) -> None:
+        """An unrecognized field should raise ValueError."""
+        data = _make_base_dict()
+        data["bogus_field"] = 123
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="is not a field"):
+            TamperAttackConfig.from_dict(data)
+
+    def test_optional_fields_not_required(self) -> None:
+        """Fields with defaults should not be required in the dict."""
+        data = _make_base_dict()
+        config = _ConfigWithOptionalField.from_dict(data)
+        assert config.optional_str == "default_value"
+        assert config.optional_none is None
+        assert config.optional_list == []
+
+    def test_optional_fields_can_be_overridden(self) -> None:
+        """Fields with defaults can still be provided to override."""
+        data = _make_base_dict()
+        data["optional_str"] = "custom"
+        data["optional_none"] = 7
+        data["optional_list"] = ["a", "b"]
+        config = _ConfigWithOptionalField.from_dict(data)
+        assert config.optional_str == "custom"
+        assert config.optional_none == 7
+        assert config.optional_list == ["a", "b"]
+
+    def test_subclass_required_field_still_required(self) -> None:
+        """A subclass that adds a required field should still enforce it."""
+
+        @dataclass
+        class _ConfigWithRequired(TamperAttackConfig):
+            extra_required: int
+
+        data = _make_base_dict()
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="mandatory field"):
+            _ConfigWithRequired.from_dict(data)