feat(workflows): expose authenticated run subjects (#7088)

* feat(workflows): expose authenticated run subjects

* fix(tests): use typed chat auth requests

* fix(auth): harden subject delegation and cookies

* fix(workflows): remove duplicate run email metadata

Author: TheodoreSpeaks

apps/sim/app/api/chat/[identifier]/otp/route.ts

@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ export const PUT = withRouteHandler(
         includeThinking: deployment.includeThinking ?? false,
         includeToolCalls: deployment.includeToolCalls ?? false,
       })
-      setChatAuthCookie(response, deployment, email)
+      await setChatAuthCookie(response, deployment, email)
 
       return response
     } catch (error) {

apps/sim/app/api/chat/[identifier]/route.test.ts

@@ -416,6 +416,39 @@ describe('Chat Identifier API Route', () => {
       )
     }, 10000)
 
+    it('executes with the email proven by the chat authentication gate', async () => {
+      mockValidateChatAuth.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        authorized: true,
+        authenticatedEmail: 'person@example.com',
+      })
+      const req = createMockNextRequest('POST', { input: 'Hello world' })
+
+      const response = await POST(req, {
+        params: Promise.resolve({ identifier: 'test-chat' }),
+      })
+      expect(response.status).toBe(200)
+
+      const streamOptions = vi.mocked(createStreamingResponse).mock.calls[0][0]
+      await streamOptions.executeFn({
+        onStream: vi.fn(),
+        onBlockComplete: vi.fn(),
+        abortSignal: new AbortController().signal,
+      })
+
+      expect(vi.mocked(executeWorkflow).mock.calls[0][4]).toMatchObject({
+        principal: {
+          kind: 'system',
+          serviceId: 'chat',
+          workspaceId: 'test-workspace-id',
+          workflowId: 'workflow-id',
+          subject: {
+            kind: 'authenticated_email',
+            email: 'person@example.com',
+          },
+        },
+      })
+    }, 10000)
+
     /**
      * A row predating the column has no tool policy, so it has not opted in.
      * Thinking must not drag tool frames along with it.

apps/sim/app/api/chat/[identifier]/route.ts

@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ export const POST = withRouteHandler(
         const response = createSuccessResponse(toChatConfigResponse(deployment))
 
         if (deployment.authType === 'password') {
-          setChatAuthCookie(response, deployment)
+          await setChatAuthCookie(response, deployment)
         }
 
         return response
@@ -328,6 +328,14 @@ export const POST = withRouteHandler(
                   serviceId: 'chat',
                   workspaceId,
                   workflowId: deployment.workflowId,
+                  ...(authResult.authenticatedEmail
+                    ? {
+                        subject: {
+                          kind: 'authenticated_email' as const,
+                          email: authResult.authenticatedEmail,
+                        },
+                      }
+                    : {}),
                 },
                 selectedOutputs,
                 isSecureMode: true,

apps/sim/app/api/chat/utils.test.ts

@@ -18,14 +18,14 @@ import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 const {
   mockMergeSubblockStateWithValues,
   mockMergeSubBlockValues,
-  mockValidateAuthToken,
+  mockReadDeploymentAuthToken,
   mockSetDeploymentAuthCookie,
   mockIsEmailAllowed,
   mockCheckRateLimitDirect,
 } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   mockMergeSubblockStateWithValues: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({}),
   mockMergeSubBlockValues: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({}),
-  mockValidateAuthToken: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(false),
+  mockReadDeploymentAuthToken: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(null),
   mockSetDeploymentAuthCookie: vi.fn(),
   mockIsEmailAllowed: vi.fn(),
   mockCheckRateLimitDirect: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ allowed: true }),
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ vi.mock('@sim/workflow-persistence/subblocks', () => ({
 vi.mock('@/lib/core/security/encryption', () => encryptionMock)
 
 vi.mock('@/lib/core/security/deployment', () => ({
-  validateAuthToken: mockValidateAuthToken,
+  readDeploymentAuthToken: mockReadDeploymentAuthToken,
   setDeploymentAuthCookie: mockSetDeploymentAuthCookie,
   isEmailAllowed: mockIsEmailAllowed,
   deploymentAuthCookieName: (prefix: string, id: string) => `${prefix}_auth_${id}`,
@@ -84,52 +84,65 @@ describe('Chat API Utils', () => {
 
   describe('Auth token utils', () => {
     it('should accept valid auth cookie via validateChatAuth', async () => {
-      mockValidateAuthToken.mockReturnValue(true)
+      mockReadDeploymentAuthToken.mockResolvedValue({})
 
       const deployment = {
         id: 'chat-id',
         authType: 'password',
         password: 'encrypted-password',
       }
 
-      const mockRequest = {
-        method: 'POST',
-        cookies: {
-          get: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ value: 'valid-token' }),
-        },
-      } as any
+      const mockRequest = createMockRequest('POST', undefined, {
+        cookie: 'chat_auth_chat-id=valid-token',
+      })
 
       const result = await validateChatAuth('request-id', deployment, mockRequest)
-      expect(mockValidateAuthToken).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      expect(mockReadDeploymentAuthToken).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
         token: 'valid-token',
         resource: deployment,
       })
       expect(result.authorized).toBe(true)
     })
 
     it('should reject invalid auth cookie via validateChatAuth', async () => {
-      mockValidateAuthToken.mockReturnValue(false)
+      mockReadDeploymentAuthToken.mockResolvedValue(null)
 
       const deployment = {
         id: 'chat-id',
         authType: 'password',
         password: 'encrypted-password',
       }
 
-      const mockRequest = {
-        method: 'GET',
-        cookies: {
-          get: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ value: 'invalid-token' }),
-        },
-      } as any
+      const mockRequest = createMockRequest('GET', undefined, {
+        cookie: 'chat_auth_chat-id=invalid-token',
+      })
 
       const result = await validateChatAuth('request-id', deployment, mockRequest)
       expect(result.authorized).toBe(false)
     })
+
+    it('returns the authenticated email carried by a valid email-auth cookie', async () => {
+      mockReadDeploymentAuthToken.mockResolvedValue({
+        authenticatedEmail: 'person@example.com',
+      })
+
+      const deployment = {
+        id: 'chat-id',
+        authType: 'email',
+      }
+      const mockRequest = createMockRequest('POST', undefined, {
+        cookie: 'chat_auth_chat-id=valid-token',
+      })
+
+      await expect(validateChatAuth('request-id', deployment, mockRequest)).resolves.toEqual({
+        authorized: true,
+        authenticatedEmail: 'person@example.com',
+      })
+    })
   })
 
   describe('Cookie handling', () => {
-    it('should delegate to setDeploymentAuthCookie', () => {
+    it('should delegate to setDeploymentAuthCookie', async () => {
       const mockResponse = {
         cookies: { set: vi.fn() },
       } as unknown as NextResponse
@@ -139,7 +152,7 @@ describe('Chat API Utils', () => {
         authType: 'password',
         password: 'encrypted-password',
       }
-      setChatAuthCookie(mockResponse, deployment)
+      await setChatAuthCookie(mockResponse, deployment)
 
       expect(mockSetDeploymentAuthCookie).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
         response: mockResponse,
@@ -148,6 +161,26 @@ describe('Chat API Utils', () => {
         verifiedEmail: undefined,
       })
     })
+
+    it('forwards an authenticated email into the signed deployment cookie', async () => {
+      const mockResponse = {
+        cookies: { set: vi.fn() },
+      } as unknown as NextResponse
+
+      const deployment = {
+        id: 'test-chat-id',
+        authType: 'email',
+        allowedEmails: ['person@example.com'],
+      }
+      await setChatAuthCookie(mockResponse, deployment, 'person@example.com')
+
+      expect(mockSetDeploymentAuthCookie).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        response: mockResponse,
+        cookiePrefix: 'chat',
+        resource: deployment,
+        verifiedEmail: 'person@example.com',
+      })
+    })
   })
 
   describe('Chat auth validation', () => {
@@ -429,14 +462,17 @@ describe('Chat API Utils', () => {
       })
 
       it('authorizes execution when session email is allowlisted', async () => {
-        mockGetSession.mockResolvedValue({ user: { email: 'user@example.com' } })
+        mockGetSession.mockResolvedValue({ user: { email: 'User@Example.com' } })
         mockIsEmailAllowed.mockReturnValue(true)
 
         const result = await validateChatAuth('request-id', ssoDeployment, postRequest, {
           input: 'hello',
         })
 
-        expect(result.authorized).toBe(true)
+        expect(result).toEqual({
+          authorized: true,
+          authenticatedEmail: 'user@example.com',
+        })
       })
 
       it('rejects execution when session email is not allowlisted', async () => {

apps/sim/app/api/chat/utils.ts

@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@ import {
   validateDeploymentAuth,
 } from '@/lib/core/security/deployment-auth'
 
-export function setChatAuthCookie(
+export async function setChatAuthCookie(
   response: NextResponse,
   deployment: DeploymentAuthResource,
   verifiedEmail?: string
-): void {
-  setDeploymentAuthCookie({
+): Promise<void> {
+  await setDeploymentAuthCookie({
     response,
     cookiePrefix: 'chat',
     resource: deployment,

apps/sim/app/api/files/public/[token]/otp/route.ts

@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ export const PUT = withRouteHandler(
       await deleteOTP('file', resolved.share.id, email)
 
       const response = NextResponse.json({ authType: resolved.share.authType })
-      setDeploymentAuthCookie({
+      await setDeploymentAuthCookie({
         response,
         cookiePrefix: 'file',
         resource: resolved.share,

apps/sim/app/api/files/public/[token]/route.ts

@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ export const POST = withRouteHandler(
       }
 
       const response = NextResponse.json({ authType: resolved.share.authType })
-      setDeploymentAuthCookie({
+      await setDeploymentAuthCookie({
         response,
         cookiePrefix: 'file',
         resource: resolved.share,

apps/sim/app/f/[token]/page.tsx

@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ async function renderAuthGate(token: string, share: GateShare) {
 
   const cookieStore = await cookies()
   const cookieValue = cookieStore.get(deploymentAuthCookieName('file', share.id))?.value
-  if (validateAuthToken({ token: cookieValue ?? '', resource: share })) return null
+  if (await validateAuthToken({ token: cookieValue ?? '', resource: share })) return null
 
   return share.authType === 'email' ? (
     <PublicFileEmailAuth token={token} />

apps/sim/blocks/blocks/start_trigger.ts

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export const StartTriggerBlock: BlockConfig = {
       mode: 'advanced',
       defaultValue: false,
       description:
-        'Expose trusted, server-injected run metadata under <start.metadata>: userEmail, workspaceId, workflowId, executionId, executionType, executionMode, startTime. Fields describe the invoking run — inside a custom block they identify the calling user and workflow.',
+        'Expose trusted, server-injected run metadata under <start.metadata>: subject, workspaceId, workflowId, executionId, executionType, executionMode, startTime. The subject identifies the authenticated Sim user, chat email, or external provider user without exposing credentials.',
     },
   ],
   tools: {

apps/sim/executor/handlers/workflow/workflow-handler.test.ts

@@ -801,6 +801,7 @@ describe('WorkflowBlockHandler', () => {
       const ctx = {
         ...mockContext,
         userId: 'consumer-1',
+        principal: { kind: 'session', userId: 'consumer-1', sessionId: 'session-consumer' },
         workspaceId: 'workspace-consumer',
         executionId: 'exec-1',
       } as ExecutionContext
@@ -873,7 +874,11 @@ describe('WorkflowBlockHandler', () => {
       expect(executorOptions).toHaveLength(1)
       const startRunMetadata = executorOptions[0].contextExtensions.startRunMetadata
       expect(startRunMetadata).toMatchObject({
-        userEmail: 'a@corp.com',
+        subject: {
+          kind: 'sim_user',
+          userId: 'consumer-1',
+          email: 'a@corp.com',
+        },
         workspaceId: 'workspace-consumer',
         workflowId: 'parent-workflow-id',
         executionId: 'exec-1',
@@ -891,7 +896,11 @@ describe('WorkflowBlockHandler', () => {
         metadata: { id: 'custom_block_abc', name: 'Published Block' },
       }
       const inheritedMetadata = {
-        userEmail: 'original@corp.com',
+        subject: {
+          kind: 'sim_user' as const,
+          userId: 'original-user',
+          email: 'original@corp.com',
+        },
         workspaceId: 'workspace-original',
         workflowId: 'workflow-original',
         executionId: 'exec-1',
@@ -971,21 +980,25 @@ describe('WorkflowBlockHandler', () => {
 
       expect(executorOptions).toHaveLength(1)
       expect(executorOptions[0].contextExtensions.startRunMetadata).toMatchObject({
-        userEmail: 'original@corp.com',
+        subject: {
+          kind: 'sim_user',
+          userId: 'original-user',
+          email: 'original@corp.com',
+        },
         workspaceId: 'workspace-original',
         workflowId: 'workflow-original',
         executionMode: 'async',
       })
       expect(mockGetUserEmailById).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     })
 
-    it('preserves a fail-soft null inherited email instead of re-resolving it', async () => {
+    it('preserves an actorless inherited subject instead of inventing an identity', async () => {
       const ctx = {
         ...mockContext,
         userId: 'publisher-1',
         workspaceId: 'workspace-parent',
         startRunMetadata: {
-          userEmail: null,
+          subject: null,
           workspaceId: 'workspace-original',
           workflowId: 'workflow-original',
         },
@@ -1025,13 +1038,16 @@ describe('WorkflowBlockHandler', () => {
       await handler.execute(ctx, mockBlock, inputs)
 
       expect(executorOptions).toHaveLength(1)
-      expect(executorOptions[0].contextExtensions.startRunMetadata.userEmail).toBeNull()
+      expect(executorOptions[0].contextExtensions.startRunMetadata.subject).toBeNull()
       expect(mockGetUserEmailById).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     })
 
     it('recovers inherited metadata from the seeded start-block state after resume', async () => {
       const seededMetadata = {
-        userEmail: 'original@corp.com',
+        subject: {
+          kind: 'authenticated_email' as const,
+          email: 'original@corp.com',
+        },
         workspaceId: 'workspace-original',
         workflowId: 'workflow-original',
         executionMode: 'sync',
@@ -1093,7 +1109,10 @@ describe('WorkflowBlockHandler', () => {
 
       expect(executorOptions).toHaveLength(1)
       expect(executorOptions[0].contextExtensions.startRunMetadata).toMatchObject({
-        userEmail: 'original@corp.com',
+        subject: {
+          kind: 'authenticated_email',
+          email: 'original@corp.com',
+        },
         workspaceId: 'workspace-original',
         workflowId: 'workflow-original',
       })
@@ -1102,7 +1121,10 @@ describe('WorkflowBlockHandler', () => {
 
     it('passes inherited metadata through a toggle-off child so deeper children keep it', async () => {
       const inheritedMetadata = {
-        userEmail: 'original@corp.com',
+        subject: {
+          kind: 'authenticated_email' as const,
+          email: 'original@corp.com',
+        },
         workspaceId: 'workspace-original',
         workflowId: 'workflow-original',
       }