nextcloud / nextcloud/files_accesscontrol

Public shared files not getting downloaded

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#733 4 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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0. Needs triage bug
Dominant language
PHP
Stars
60
Forks
22
Avg merge
2d 11h
Merged PRs (30d)
34

Description

Description:

When a File Access Control rule is created based on a file tag, files with that tag cannot be downloaded via public share links, even if the rule is intended only to restrict access for authenticated users.

Steps to Reproduce:

Enable the Files Access Control app.

Create a new collaborative tag (e.g., LOCKED).

Add a File Access Control rule:

Tag is LOCKED

Operation: Deny update and delete

Apply the LOCKED tag to a file.

Create a public share link for that file.

Attempt to download the file using the public link.

Expected Behavior:

The file should download successfully via the public link (since the rule is only meant to block edits, not public access).

Actual Behavior:

The download is blocked with an “Access denied” error.

Logs show the File Access Control rule was triggered even though the user is anonymous (public share).

Log Snippet:

Access denied for path ... that matches rules: {"id":5,"operation":"deny"}
Exception: OC\ForbiddenException: Access denied

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing the failure with a tagged file, a deny-update-and-delete rule, and an anonymous public share download. Read the Files Access Control handling for public-share requests and rule matching; done means the download succeeds for anonymous users while the rule still blocks updates and deletes.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
php
Domain
authorization, security
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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