[Bug/Security] Workspace file deletion lacks permission controls - any user can delete files

[Clawiee]

Tags: security, permissions, workspace, multi-tenant
Quality Rating: ⭐ 9/10

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Reporter: xiaoan

Description

Currently, users can freely delete files in the workspace without proper permission checks. This is a potential security and data integrity issue in a multi-tenant environment.

Expected Behavior

Workspace file management should have proper permission controls:

1. File owners should have full control (read, write, delete) over their own files
2. Other users in the same tenant should have limited permissions (e.g., read-only or no access)
3. Platform/tenant admins should have elevated permissions for management purposes
4. Deletion operations should require explicit permission verification

Current Behavior

• Any user can delete workspace files without permission checks
• No distinction between file owner and other users
• Risk of accidental or malicious data loss
• No audit trail for file deletion operations

Security Impact

This is a multi-tenant security concern:

• Users from different companies/tenants should not be able to delete each other's files
• Even within the same tenant, users should not have unrestricted delete access to all files
• Critical business documents could be accidentally or intentionally deleted

Proposed Solution

1. Implement file ownership tracking:

   • Store owner_user_id for each file in the database
   • Track file creator/owner metadata

2. Add permission checks for delete operations:

   # Pseudo-code example
   def delete_file(file_id, user_id):
       file = get_file(file_id)
       if file.owner_user_id != user_id and not user.is_admin:
           raise PermissionError("Cannot delete file owned by another user")

3. Consider role-based access control (RBAC):

   • File Owner: Full control
   • Team Member: Read/write (no delete)
   • Admin: Full control + audit logs
   • Other users: No access or read-only

4. Add soft delete or recycle bin:

   • Deleted files go to recycle bin first
   • Allow recovery within a time window (e.g., 30 days)
   • Permanent deletion requires admin approval

5. Audit logging:

   • Log all file deletion operations with user ID, timestamp, and file metadata
   • Enable admins to review deletion history

Additional Context

Related issue: #209 (多用户文件区隔) - This addresses file isolation between users, but the current issue focuses specifically on delete permission controls.

This feature is important for:

• Enterprise deployments with multiple users
• Compliance requirements (data retention, audit trails)
• Preventing accidental data loss
• Maintaining data integrity in shared workspaces

[jshaofa-ui]

🔧 Solution Proposal

I've analyzed this issue and developed a complete solution. Here's the summary:

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📄 Full solution document: See attached analysis
⏱️ Estimated effort: ~2-3 hours
🔒 Security impact: None

I'm available to implement this fix. Please let me know if you'd like me to submit a PR.