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Table of contents

- Permissions
  - Process-based permissions
    - Permission Model
      - Runtime API
        - `permission.has(scope[, reference])`
      - File System Permissions
      - Configuration file support
      - Using the Permission Model with `npx`
      - Permission Model constraints
      - process._debugProcess() and cross-process Inspector activation
      - Limitations and Known Issues

## Permissions#

Permissions can be used to control what system resources the Node.js process has access to or what actions the process can take with those resources.

- Process-based permissions control the Node.js process's access to resources. The resource can be entirely allowed or denied, or actions related to it can be controlled. For example, file system reads can be allowed while denying writes. This feature does not protect against malicious code. According to the Node.js Security Policy, Node.js trusts any code it is asked to run.

The permission model implements a "seat belt" approach, which prevents trusted code from unintentionally changing files or using resources that access has not explicitly been granted to. It does not provide security guarantees in the presence of malicious code. Malicious code can bypass the permission model and execute arbitrary code without the restrictions imposed by the permission model.

If you find a potential security vulnerability, please refer to our Security Policy.

### Process-based permissions#

#### Permission Model#

History

Version | Changes
--- | ---
v23.5.0, v22.13.0 | This feature is no longer experimental.
v20.0.0 | Added in: v20.0.0

> Stability: 2 - Stable

The Node.js Permission Model is a mechanism for restricting access to specific resources during execution. The API exists behind a flag `--permission` which when enabled, will restrict access to all available permissions.

The available permissions are documented by the `--permission` flag.

When starting Node.js with `--permission`, the ability to access the file system through the `fs` module, spawn processes, use `node:worker_threads`, use native addons, use WASI, and enable the runtime inspector will be restricted.

    $ node --permission index.js

    Error: Access to this API has been restricted
        at node:internal/main/run_main_module:23:47 {
      code: 'ERR_ACCESS_DENIED',
      permission: 'FileSystemRead',
      resource: '/home/user/index.js'
    }

Allowing access to spawning a process and creating worker threads can be done using the `--allow-child-process` and `--allow-worker` respectively.

To allow native addons when using permission model, use the `--allow-addons` flag. For WASI, use the `--allow-wasi` flag.

##### Runtime API#

When enabling the Permission Model through the `--permission` flag a new property `permission` is added to the `process` object. This property contains one function:

###### `permission.has(scope[, reference])`#

API call to check permissions at runtime (`permission.has()`)

    process.permission.has('fs.write'); // true
    process.permission.has('fs.write', '/home/rafaelgss/protected-folder'); // true

    process.permission.has('fs.read'); // true
    process.permission.has('fs.read', '/home/rafaelgss/protected-folder'); // false

##### File System Permissions#

The Permission Model, by default, restricts access to the file system through the `node:fs` module. It does not guarantee that users will not be able to access the file system through other means, such as through the `node:sqlite` module.

To allow access to the file system, use the `--allow-fs-read` and `--allow-fs-write` flags:

    $ node --permission --allow-fs-read=* --allow-fs-write=* index.js
    Hello world!

By default the entrypoints of your application are included in the allowed file system read list. For example:

    $ node --permission index.js

- `index.js` will be included in the allowed file system read list

    $ node -r /path/to/custom-require.js --permission index.js.

- `/path/to/custom-require.js` will be included in the allowed file system read list.
- `index.js` will be included in the allowed file system read list.

The valid arguments for both flags are:

- `*` - To allow all `FileSystemRead` or `FileSystemWrite` operations, respectively.
- Relative paths to the current working directory.
- Absolute paths.

Example:

- `--allow-fs-read=*` - It will allow all `FileSystemRead` operations.
- `--allow-fs-write=*` - It will allow all `FileSystemWrite` operations.
- `--allow-fs-write=/tmp/` - It will allow `FileSystemWrite` access to the `/tmp/` folder.
- `--allow-fs-read=/tmp/ --allow-fs-read=/home/.gitignore` - It allows `FileSystemRead` access to the `/tmp/` folder and the `/home/.gitignore` path.

Wildcards are supported too:

- `--allow-fs-read=/home/test*` will allow read access to everything that matches the wildcard. e.g: `/home/test/file1` or `/home/test2`

After passing a wildcard character (`*`) all subsequent characters will be ignored. For example: `/home/*.js` will work similar to `/home/*`.

When the permission model is initialized, it will automatically add a wildcard (*) if the specified directory exists. For example, if `/home/test/files` exists, it will be treated as `/home/test/files/*`. However, if the directory does not exist, the wildcard will not be added, and access will be limited to `/home/test/files`. If you want to allow access to a folder that does not exist yet, make sure to explicitly include the wildcard: `/my-path/folder-do-not-exist/*`.

##### Configuration file support#

In addition to passing permission flags on the command line, they can also be declared in a Node.js configuration file when using the experimental [`--experimental-config-file`][] flag. Permission options must be placed inside the `permission` top-level object.

Example `node.config.json`:

    {
      "permission": {
        "allow-fs-read": ["./foo"],
        "allow-fs-write": ["./bar"],
        "allow-child-process": true,
        "allow-worker": true,
        "allow-addons": false
      }
    }

Run with the configuration file:

    $ node --permission --experimental-default-config-file app.js

##### Using the Permission Model with `npx`#

If you're using `npx` to execute a Node.js script, you can enable the Permission Model by passing the `--node-options` flag. For example:

    npx --node-options="--permission" package-name

This sets the `NODE_OPTIONS` environment variable for all Node.js processes spawned by `npx`, without affecting the `npx` process itself.

FileSystemRead Error with `npx`

The above command will likely throw a `FileSystemRead` invalid access error because Node.js requires file system read access to locate and execute the package. To avoid this:

1. Using a Globally Installed Package Grant read access to the global `node_modules` directory by running:

       npx --node-options="--permission --allow-fs-read=$(npm prefix -g)" package-name

2. Using the `npx` Cache If you are installing the package temporarily or relying on the `npx` cache, grant read access to the npm cache directory:

       npx --node-options="--permission --allow-fs-read=$(npm config get cache)" package-name

Any arguments you would normally pass to `node` (e.g., `--allow-*` flags) can also be passed through the `--node-options` flag. This flexibility makes it easy to configure permissions as needed when using `npx`.

##### Permission Model constraints#

There are constraints you need to know before using this system:

- The model does not inherit to a worker thread.
- When using the Permission Model the following features will be restricted:
  - Native modules
  - Child process
  - Worker Threads
  - Inspector protocol
  - File system access
  - WASI
- The Permission Model is initialized after the Node.js environment is set up. However, certain flags such as `--env-file` or `--openssl-config` are designed to read files before environment initialization. As a result, such flags are not subject to the rules of the Permission Model. The same applies for V8 flags that can be set via runtime through `v8.setFlagsFromString`.
- OpenSSL engines cannot be requested at runtime when the Permission Model is enabled, affecting the built-in crypto, https, and tls modules.
- Run-Time Loadable Extensions cannot be loaded when the Permission Model is enabled, affecting the sqlite module.
- Using existing file descriptors via the `node:fs` module bypasses the Permission Model.

##### process._debugProcess() and cross-process Inspector activation#

The `kInspector` permission scope restricts the current process from opening its own V8 Inspector. However, process._debugProcess(pid) — which sends an OS-level signal (SIGUSR1 on POSIX, a remote thread on Windows) to an external process — is not gated by the `kInspector` scope or any other Permission Model scope.

A sandboxed process running under --permission with no additional grants can call process._debugProcess(pid) to force another Node.js process to open its V8 Inspector. The target process does not need to be running under --permission for this to work — any Node.js process running on the same host under the same OS user can be signaled.

This is consistent with the Node.js threat model: Node.js trusts the OS environment in which it runs. Cross-process signaling is an operating-system-level capability; restricting it is the responsibility of the operator (for example, using OS-level process isolation, separate OS users per process, or seccomp/AppArmor profiles on Linux).

Developers relying on --permission to sandbox untrusted code should be aware that:

- process._debugProcess() is callable from any sandboxed process with no grants.
- If a target Node.js process is running on the same host under the same OS user, it can be forced to open its Inspector via this API.
- To prevent this, run sandboxed and target processes under different OS users, or use OS-level isolation mechanisms outside of Node.js.

##### Limitations and Known Issues#

- Symbolic links will be followed even to locations outside of the set of paths that access has been granted to. Relative symbolic links may allow access to arbitrary files and directories. When starting applications with the permission model enabled, you must ensure that no paths to which access has been granted contain relative symbolic links.