Reject credential and other unsupported keys in `files_external:option`

⚠️ This issue respects the following points: ⚠️

• This is a bug, not a question or a configuration/webserver/proxy issue.
• This issue is not already reported on Github OR Nextcloud Community Forum (I've searched it).
• Nextcloud Server is up to date. See Maintenance and Release Schedule for supported versions.
• I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct.

Bug description

When configuring SMB external storage via occ, using:

php occ files_external:option <mount_id> password ''

stores a password field as a mount option. It can then be exposed in plaintext via:

php occ files_external:list --output=json

as options.password.

This is problematic for two reasons:

1. It’s a potential secret-leak footgun (password in plaintext options output).
2. It does not reliably set the SMB authentication credential where the SMB backend expects it (the correct credential setter is php occ files_external:config <mount_id> password '').

I’m proposing guardrails/warnings (or rejection) when attempting to set option keys like password via files_external:option, and updating docs/examples to steer admins to files_external:config for credential setting.

Steps to reproduce

1. On a Nextcloud Server instance with the External storage support app enabled, create an SMB external storage mount (any valid SMB host/share/user is fine) and note the returned mount id <mount_id>.
2. Run the following command to “set the password” via option:

php occ files_external:option <mount_id> password 'example-password'
3. List mounts in JSON:

php occ files_external:list --output=json

4. Observe that the JSON for that mount includes a plaintext options.password field.
5. Now set the password via the correct command:

php occ files_external:config <mount_id> password 'example-password'
php occ files_external:list --output=json

6. Observe that configuration.password is treated as a credential (redacted in output), and options.password should not be used for credentials.

Expected behavior

I expected files_external:option <mount_id> password ... to either:

• be rejected (because password is a credential, not a mount option), or
• at minimum emit a clear warning that credentials must be set via files_external:config, and that storing a password as an option may expose it in output.

I also expected files_external:list --output=json to never include a plaintext password under options.* for any mount.

Nextcloud Server version

32

Operating system

Debian/Ubuntu

PHP engine version

PHP 8.3

Web server

Nginx

Database engine version

MariaDB

Is this bug present after an update or on a fresh install?

Updated from a MINOR version (ex. 32.0.1 to 32.0.2)

Are you using the Nextcloud Server Encryption module?

Encryption is Disabled

What user-backends are you using?

• Default user-backend (database)
• LDAP/ Active Directory
• SSO - SAML
• Other

Configuration report

{
    "system": {
        "passwordsalt": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "secret": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "trusted_domains": [
            "localhost",
            "wm3v.com",
            "nextcloud",
            "192.168.39.200"
        ],
        "datadirectory": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "overwrite.cli.url": "https:\/\/wm3v.com\/nextcloud",
        "dbtype": "mysql",
        "version": "32.0.4.1",
        "dbname": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbhost": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbport": "",
        "dbtableprefix": "oc_",
        "dbuser": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbpassword": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "installed": true,
        "instanceid": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "ldapIgnoreNamingRules": false,
        "ldapProviderFactory": "\\OCA\\User_LDAP\\LDAPProviderFactory",
        "updatechecker": false,
        "memcache.local": "\\OC\\Memcache\\APCu",
        "integrity.check.disabled": true,
        "filelocking.enabled": true,
        "memcache.locking": "\\OC\\Memcache\\Redis",
        "redis": {
            "host": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
            "port": "6379",
            "timeout": "0.0",
            "password": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***"
        },
        "logout_url": "https:\/\/wm3v.com\/yunohost\/sso\/?action=logout&r=aHR0cHM6Ly93bTN2LmNvbS9uZXh0Y2xvdWQ=",
        "updater.release.channel": "stable",
        "maintenance": false,
        "theme": "",
        "config_is_read_only": false,
        "loglevel": 2,
        "logtimezone": "America\/Denver",
        "default_phone_region": "US",
        "mail_smtpmode": "smtp",
        "mail_sendmailmode": "smtp",
        "mail_from_address": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_domain": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_smtpauthtype": "LOGIN",
        "mail_smtphost": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_smtpport": "25",
        "mail_smtpauth": 1,
        "mail_smtpname": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_smtppassword": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_smtpsecure": "ssl",
        "hashing_default_password": true,
        "mysql.utf8mb4": true,
        "app_install_overwrite": {
            "0": "spreed",
            "1": "sharerenamer",
            "2": "files_reader",
            "3": "radio",
            "4": "occweb",
            "6": "files_frommail",
            "7": "richdocuments",
            "8": "duplicatefinder",
            "9": "ransomware_protection",
            "10": "inventory",
            "11": "hedgenext"
        },
        "localstorage.allowsymlinks": true,
        "simpleSignUpLink.shown": false,
        "mail_smtpstreamoptions": {
            "ssl": {
                "allow_self_signed": true,
                "verify_peer": false,
                "verify_peer_name": false
            }
        },
        "logfile": "\/var\/log\/nextcloud\/nextcloud.log",
        "maintenance_window_start": 1,
        "quota_include_external_storage": false,
        "trusted_proxies": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "trashbin_retention_obligation": "auto, 30",
        "versions_retention_obligation": "auto, 30",
        "forbidden_filename_basenames": [
            "con",
            "prn",
            "aux",
            "nul",
            "com0",
            "com1",
            "com2",
            "com3",
            "com4",
            "com5",
            "com6",
            "com7",
            "com8",
            "com9",
            "com\u00b9",
            "com\u00b2",
            "com\u00b3",
            "lpt0",
            "lpt1",
            "lpt2",
            "lpt3",
            "lpt4",
            "lpt5",
            "lpt6",
            "lpt7",
            "lpt8",
            "lpt9",
            "lpt\u00b9",
            "lpt\u00b2",
            "lpt\u00b3"
        ],
        "forbidden_filename_characters": [
            "<",
            ">",
            ":",
            "\"",
            "|",
            "?",
            "*",
            "\\",
            "\/"
        ],
        "forbidden_filename_extensions": [
            " ",
            ".",
            ".filepart",
            ".part"
        ]
    }
}

List of activated Apps

Enabled:
  - activity: 5.0.0-dev.0
  - admin_audit: 1.22.0
  - audioplayer: 3.7.0
  - camerarawpreviews: 0.8.8
  - circles: 32.0.0
  - cloud_federation_api: 1.16.0
  - comments: 1.22.0
  - contactsinteraction: 1.13.1
  - dav: 1.34.2
  - epubviewer: 1.9.2
  - federatedfilesharing: 1.22.0
  - files: 2.4.0
  - files_3dmodelviewer: 0.0.16
  - files_external: 1.24.0
  - files_fulltextsearch: 32.0.2
  - files_pdfviewer: 5.0.0-dev.0
  - files_sharing: 1.24.1
  - files_trashbin: 1.22.0
  - files_versions: 1.25.0
  - forms: 5.2.3
  - fulltextsearch: 32.0.0
  - impersonate: 3.0.1
  - keeweb: 0.6.22
  - logreader: 5.0.0-dev.0
  - lookup_server_connector: 1.20.0
  - nextcloud_announcements: 4.0.0-dev.0
  - notes: 4.12.4
  - notifications: 5.0.0-dev.0
  - notify_push: 1.3.0
  - oauth2: 1.20.0
  - password_policy: 4.0.0-dev.0
  - passwords: 2026.2.20
  - photos: 5.0.0-dev.1
  - privacy: 4.0.0-dev.0
  - profile: 1.1.0
  - provisioning_api: 1.22.0
  - secrets: 2.1.6
  - serverinfo: 4.0.0-dev.0
  - settings: 1.15.1
  - spreed: 22.0.9
  - support: 4.0.0-dev.0
  - text: 6.0.1
  - theming: 2.7.0
  - thesearchpage: 2.0.5
  - twofactor_backupcodes: 1.21.0
  - user_ldap: 1.23.0
  - user_status: 1.12.0
  - user_usage_report: 3.0.0
  - viewer: 5.0.0-dev.0
  - weather_status: 1.12.0
  - webhook_listeners: 1.3.0
  - workflowengine: 2.14.0
Disabled:
  - app_api: 32.0.0 (installed 5.0.2)
  - assistant: 2.12.0 (installed 2.12.0)
  - bruteforcesettings: 5.0.0-dev.0 (installed 2.9.0)
  - cadviewer: 10.10.7 (installed 10.10.7)
  - context_chat: 5.2.0 (installed 5.2.0)
  - dashboard: 7.12.0 (installed 7.2.0)
  - dicomviewer: 2.3.1 (installed 2.3.1)
  - encryption: 2.20.0
  - federation: 1.22.0 (installed 1.9.0)
  - files_downloadlimit: 5.0.0-dev.0 (installed 2.0.0)
  - files_linkeditor: 1.1.23 (installed 1.1.23)
  - files_photospheres: 1.32.0 (installed 1.32.0)
  - files_reader: 1.5.3 (installed 1.5.3)
  - files_reminders: 1.5.0 (installed 1.2.0)
  - files_rightclick: 1.6.0 (installed 1.6.0)
  - firstrunwizard: 5.0.0-dev.0 (installed 2.8.0)
  - integration_openai: 3.10.0 (installed 3.10.0)
  - inventory: 0.1.3 (installed 0.1.3)
  - keeporsweep: 0.3.0 (installed 0.3.0)
  - occweb: 0.2.3 (installed 0.2.3)
  - ransomware_protection: 1.14.0 (installed 1.14.0)
  - recommendations: 5.0.0-dev.0 (installed 0.7.0)
  - related_resources: 3.0.0-dev.0 (installed 1.4.0)
  - richdocuments: 9.0.2 (installed 9.0.2)
  - richdocumentscode: 25.4.702 (installed 25.4.702)
  - sharebymail: 1.22.0 (installed 1.8.0)
  - sms_relentless: 1.4.4 (installed 1.4.4)
  - survey_client: 4.0.0-dev.0 (installed 1.17.0)
  - suspicious_login: 10.0.0-dev.0
  - systemtags: 1.22.0 (installed 1.19.0)
  - twofactor_nextcloud_notification: 6.0.0-dev.0
  - twofactor_totp: 14.0.0
  - updatenotification: 1.22.0 (installed 1.21.0)
  - wordfind: 1.4.2 (installed 1.4.2)
  - workflow_media_converter: 1.15.1 (installed 1.15.1)

Nextcloud Signing status

Integrity checker has been disabled. Integrity cannot be verified.

Nextcloud Logs

N/A — this report is based on deterministic occ output (files_external:list --output=json) showing options.password after running files_external:option … password …. No specific Nextcloud log entry was required to reproduce.

Additional info

Running on Nextcloud Hub 25 (32.0.4) (YunoHost package 32.0.4~ynh1), PHP-FPM 8.3, MariaDB, nginx, Debian 12. External storage app files_external version 1.24.0. LDAP backend enabled (user_ldap).

Supporting write-up with more context (including YunoHost-specific SMB outage mode):

Related issues found while searching (likely different root causes; listed for context):

• https://github.com/nextcloud/server/issues/58027
• https://github.com/nextcloud/server/issues/30751
• https://github.com/nextcloud/server/issues/29461
• https://github.com/nextcloud/server/issues/3299
• https://github.com/nextcloud/server/issues/57596
• https://github.com/nextcloud/server/issues/36773

Disclosure: I used AI tools (Claude Sonnet 4.6 and OpenClaw / OpenAI Codex gpt‑5.2) to help structure/edit this report; technical claims are based on occ output and observed behavior.

Start by locating the implementations of the files_external:option, files_external:config, and files_external:list commands in the files_external app, then compare how option and credential values are stored and serialized. Reproduce the commands from the issue and add coverage for unsupported keys such as password; done means credentials are rejected or clearly warned about and are not exposed under options in JSON output.