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ADR-006: Module Permission System

Fine-grained, hierarchical permission system for XOOPS modules enabling granular access control.

Status

Accepted - Implemented in XOOPS 2.5.x and extended in 2026

Context

Problem Statement

XOOPS modules need flexible permission controls that allow:

  1. Module-level permissions - Can user access this module?
  2. Object-level permissions - Can user access this specific item?
  3. Action-level permissions - Can user perform this action?
  4. Custom permissions - Can modules define their own permissions?

Current State

XOOPS 2.5 uses the XoopsGroupPermission system:

<?php
$perm_handler = xoops_getHandler('groupperm');
$isAllowed = $perm_handler->checkRight(
    'modulename',
    'action',
    $itemId,
    $groupId
);

Challenges

  1. Complex Queries - Permission checks require database joins
  2. Limited Hierarchy - Hard to create permission groups
  3. Poor Caching - No built-in permission caching
  4. Module Variations - Each module implements differently
  5. Performance - Multiple DB queries for permission checks

Decision

Implement Hierarchical Permission System

Create a standardized, cached permission system supporting:

  1. Hierarchical Permissions - Inheritance from parent groups
  2. Role-Based Access - Map permissions to roles (admin, moderator, user, guest)
  3. Object Permissions - Fine-grained control per item
  4. Caching - Cache permissions to reduce queries
  5. Custom Permissions - Modules define their own
  6. Audit Trail - Log permission changes

Permission Hierarchy

User
  └── Group 1 (Admin)
      └── Permission: admin_module
      └── Permission: edit_all_items
      └── Permission: delete_all_items
  └── Group 2 (Moderator)
      └── Permission: moderate_comments
      └── Permission: edit_own_items
  └── Group 3 (User)
      └── Permission: view_published_items
      └── Permission: edit_own_items
  └── Group 4 (Guest)
      └── Permission: view_published_items

Architecture

graph TB
    subgraph "Permission System"
        A["Permission Registry<br/>(Define permissions)"]
        B["Permission Checker<br/>(Check access)"]
        C["Permission Cache<br/>(Improve performance)"]
        D["Permission Audit Log<br/>(Track changes)"]
    end

    subgraph "Data Layer"
        E["Group Permissions Table"]
        F["User Groups Table"]
        G["Permission Definitions"]
    end

    A --> E
    B --> E
    B --> C
    C --> E
    D --> E
    F --> B

Core Components

1. Permission Definition

<?php
// Module defines its permissions in xoops_version.php

$modversion['permissions'] = [
    [
        'name' => 'module_view',
        'description' => 'Can view module',
        'level' => 'module',
    ],
    [
        'name' => 'item_view',
        'description' => 'Can view items',
        'level' => 'item',
    ],
    [
        'name' => 'item_create',
        'description' => 'Can create items',
        'level' => 'item',
    ],
    [
        'name' => 'item_edit',
        'description' => 'Can edit items',
        'level' => 'item',
    ],
    [
        'name' => 'item_delete',
        'description' => 'Can delete items',
        'level' => 'item',
    ],
    [
        'name' => 'admin_manage',
        'description' => 'Can manage module',
        'level' => 'admin',
    ],
];

// Default permissions by group
$modversion['group_permissions'] = [
    // Admin group gets all permissions
    '1' => [
        'module_view' => 1,
        'item_view' => 1,
        'item_create' => 1,
        'item_edit' => 1,
        'item_delete' => 1,
        'admin_manage' => 1,
    ],
    // User group
    '3' => [
        'module_view' => 1,
        'item_view' => 1,
        'item_create' => 1,
        'item_edit' => 0,
        'item_delete' => 0,
        'admin_manage' => 0,
    ],
    // Guest group
    '4' => [
        'module_view' => 1,
        'item_view' => 1,
        'item_create' => 0,
        'item_edit' => 0,
        'item_delete' => 0,
        'admin_manage' => 0,
    ],
];

2. Permission Checker

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace XoopsCore\Permission;

class PermissionChecker
{
    private PermissionCache $cache;
    private PermissionRepository $repository;

    public function hasPermission(
        User $user,
        string $permissionName,
        ?int $itemId = null
    ): bool {
        // Check cache first
        $cacheKey = "perm_{$user->getId()}_{$permissionName}_{$itemId}";
        if ($this->cache->has($cacheKey)) {
            return $this->cache->get($cacheKey);
        }

        $hasPermission = false;

        // Check all user groups
        foreach ($user->getGroups() as $group) {
            if ($this->checkGroupPermission($group, $permissionName, $itemId)) {
                $hasPermission = true;
                break;
            }
        }

        // Cache result
        $this->cache->set($cacheKey, $hasPermission, 3600);

        // Log high-level access checks
        if ($hasPermission && $this->shouldAuditLog($permissionName)) {
            $this->auditLog('PERMISSION_CHECKED', [
                'user_id' => $user->getId(),
                'permission' => $permissionName,
                'item_id' => $itemId,
                'result' => 'ALLOWED',
            ]);
        }

        return $hasPermission;
    }

    private function checkGroupPermission(
        Group $group,
        string $permissionName,
        ?int $itemId = null
    ): bool {
        $sql = 'SELECT COUNT(*) FROM ' . $this->table . '
                WHERE groupid = ?
                AND permission = ?
                AND itemid = ?
                AND granted = 1';

        $stmt = $this->db->prepare($sql);
        $stmt->execute([$group->getId(), $permissionName, $itemId ?? 0]);

        return $stmt->fetchColumn() > 0;
    }
}

3. Permission Levels

<?php
// Different permission levels with different scopes

class PermissionLevel
{
    // Module-level: Affects entire module
    public const LEVEL_MODULE = 'module';

    // Admin-level: Admin panel access
    public const LEVEL_ADMIN = 'admin';

    // Item-level: Specific objects/items
    public const LEVEL_ITEM = 'item';

    // Field-level: Specific object fields
    public const LEVEL_FIELD = 'field';

    // Action-level: Specific actions/operations
    public const LEVEL_ACTION = 'action';
}

4. Object-Level Permissions

<?php
// Fine-grained control for specific items

class Item extends XoopsObject
{
    /**
     * Check if user can view this item
     */
    public function canView(User $user): bool
    {
        // Public items anyone can view
        if ($this->getVar('status') === 'published') {
            return true;
        }

        // Owner can always view their items
        if ($this->getVar('user_id') === $user->getId()) {
            return true;
        }

        // Check group permissions
        $permChecker = xoops_getActiveModule()->getPermissionChecker();
        return $permChecker->hasPermission(
            $user,
            'item_view',
            $this->getVar('id')
        );
    }

    public function canEdit(User $user): bool
    {
        // Owner can edit their items
        if ($this->getVar('user_id') === $user->getId()) {
            return $permChecker->hasPermission($user, 'item_edit', $this->getVar('id'));
        }

        // Check if user can edit all items
        return $permChecker->hasPermission($user, 'item_edit_all', $this->getVar('id'));
    }

    public function canDelete(User $user): bool
    {
        return $permChecker->hasPermission($user, 'item_delete', $this->getVar('id'));
    }
}

5. Usage in Controllers

<?php
// Example: Article controller

class ArticleController
{
    private PermissionChecker $permChecker;

    public function view(int $id, User $user): Response
    {
        $article = $this->repository->find($id);

        // Check permission
        if (!$article->canView($user)) {
            throw new AccessDeniedException('Cannot view this article');
        }

        return new HtmlResponse($this->renderArticle($article));
    }

    public function edit(int $id, User $user): Response
    {
        $article = $this->repository->find($id);

        // Check permission
        if (!$article->canEdit($user)) {
            throw new AccessDeniedException('Cannot edit this article');
        }

        // Handle form submission
        if ($this->request->isMethod('POST')) {
            $article->setVar('title', $this->request->getPost('title'));
            $article->setVar('content', $this->request->getPost('content'));
            $this->repository->insert($article);

            $this->auditLog('ARTICLE_EDITED', ['id' => $id, 'user_id' => $user->getId()]);

            // Invalidate permission cache
            $this->permChecker->clearCache($user->getId());

            return new RedirectResponse('/article/' . $id);
        }

        return new HtmlResponse($this->renderForm($article));
    }

    public function delete(int $id, User $user): Response
    {
        $article = $this->repository->find($id);

        if (!$article->canDelete($user)) {
            throw new AccessDeniedException('Cannot delete this article');
        }

        $this->repository->delete($article);

        $this->auditLog('ARTICLE_DELETED', ['id' => $id, 'user_id' => $user->getId()]);

        // Invalidate cache
        $this->permChecker->clearCache($user->getId());

        return new JsonResponse(['success' => true]);
    }
}

Consequences

Positive Effects

  1. Granular Control - Fine-tuned permission management
  2. Standardized - Consistent across modules
  3. Cached - Improved performance with caching
  4. Auditable - Track who changed what
  5. Flexible - Support custom permissions
  6. Scalable - Handles complex permission hierarchies
  7. Testable - Easy to unit test

Negative Effects

  1. Complexity - More code to manage
  2. Database Overhead - More tables and joins
  3. Cache Invalidation - Must clear cache on changes
  4. Learning Curve - Developers must understand system
  5. Performance - If cache not properly configured

Risks and Mitigations

Risk Severity Mitigation
Overly complex permissions Medium Good defaults, documentation
Cache stale data High TTL, smart invalidation
Performance regression Medium Benchmark, optimize queries
Permission bypass High Security audit, tests

Permission Design Patterns

Pattern 1: Owner-Based Permissions

<?php
// User can edit their own items but not others'

public function canEdit(User $user): bool
{
    // Owner can always edit
    if ($this->isOwner($user)) {
        return true;
    }

    // Check group permissions for editing others' items
    return $this->permChecker->hasPermission($user, 'edit_all_items');
}

private function isOwner(User $user): bool
{
    return $this->getVar('user_id') === $user->getId();
}

Pattern 2: Status-Based Permissions

<?php
// Different permissions based on status

public function canView(User $user): bool
{
    switch ($this->getVar('status')) {
        case 'published':
            // Anyone with module permission can view
            return $this->permChecker->hasPermission($user, 'item_view');

        case 'draft':
            // Only owner or admin can view
            return $this->isOwner($user) ||
                   $this->permChecker->hasPermission($user, 'admin_manage');

        case 'archived':
            // Only admin can view
            return $this->permChecker->hasPermission($user, 'admin_manage');

        default:
            return false;
    }
}

Pattern 3: Role-Based Permissions

<?php
// Check against specific roles

public function hasAdminRole(User $user): bool
{
    return $user->getGroups()->contains('admin_group');
}

public function hasModeratorRole(User $user): bool
{
    return $user->getGroups()->contains('moderator_group') ||
           $this->hasAdminRole($user);
}

public function canModerate(User $user): bool
{
    return $this->hasModeratorRole($user);
}

References

Permission Models

Implementation

Implementation Checklist

  • Define standard permission levels
  • Create PermissionChecker class
  • Implement caching strategy
  • Add audit logging
  • Create helper functions
  • Write comprehensive tests
  • Document for developers
  • Update all modules
  • Performance optimization
  • Security review

Version History

Version Date Changes
1.0.0 2024-01-28 Initial document

xoops #adr #permissions #authorization #rbac #security