convex-security-audit

Convex Security Audit

Comprehensive security review patterns for Convex applications including authorization logic, data access boundaries, action isolation, rate limiting, and protecting sensitive operations.

Documentation Sources

Before implementing, do not assume; fetch the latest documentation:

Primary: https://docs.convex.dev/auth/functions-auth
Production Security: https://docs.convex.dev/production
For broader context: https://docs.convex.dev/llms.txt

Instructions

Security Audit Areas

Authorization Logic - Who can do what
Data Access Boundaries - What data users can see
Action Isolation - Protecting external API calls
Rate Limiting - Preventing abuse
Sensitive Operations - Protecting critical functions

Authorization Logic Audit

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

// convex/lib/auth.ts import { QueryCtx, MutationCtx } from "./_generated/server"; import { ConvexError } from "convex/values"; import { Doc } from "./_generated/dataModel";

type UserRole = "user" | "moderator" | "admin" | "superadmin";

const roleHierarchy: Record<UserRole, number> = { user: 0, moderator: 1, admin: 2, superadmin: 3, };

export async function getUser(ctx: QueryCtx | MutationCtx): Promise<Doc<"users"> | null> { const identity = await ctx.auth.getUserIdentity(); if (!identity) return null;

return await ctx.db .query("users") .withIndex("by_tokenIdentifier", (q) => q.eq("tokenIdentifier", identity.tokenIdentifier) ) .unique(); }

export async function requireRole( ctx: QueryCtx | MutationCtx, minRole: UserRole ): Promise<Doc<"users">> { const user = await getUser(ctx);

if (!user) { throw new ConvexError({ code: "UNAUTHENTICATED", message: "Authentication required", }); }

const userRoleLevel = roleHierarchy[user.role as UserRole] ?? 0; const requiredLevel = roleHierarchy[minRole];

if (userRoleLevel < requiredLevel) { throw new ConvexError({ code: "FORBIDDEN", message: Role '${minRole}' or higher required, }); }

return user; }

// Permission-based check type Permission = "read:users" | "write:users" | "delete:users" | "admin:system";

const rolePermissions: Record<UserRole, Permission[]> = { user: ["read:users"], moderator: ["read:users", "write:users"], admin: ["read:users", "write:users", "delete:users"], superadmin: ["read:users", "write:users", "delete:users", "admin:system"], };

export async function requirePermission( ctx: QueryCtx | MutationCtx, permission: Permission ): Promise<Doc<"users">> { const user = await getUser(ctx);

if (!user) { throw new ConvexError({ code: "UNAUTHENTICATED", message: "Authentication required" }); }

const userRole = user.role as UserRole; const permissions = rolePermissions[userRole] ?? [];

if (!permissions.includes(permission)) { throw new ConvexError({ code: "FORBIDDEN", message: Permission '${permission}' required, }); }

return user; }

Data Access Boundaries Audit

// convex/data.ts import { query, mutation } from "./_generated/server"; import { v } from "convex/values"; import { getUser, requireRole } from "./lib/auth"; import { ConvexError } from "convex/values";

// Audit: Users can only see their own data export const getMyData = query({ args: {}, returns: v.array(v.object({ _id: v.id("userData"), content: v.string(), })), handler: async (ctx) => { const user = await getUser(ctx); if (!user) return [];

// SECURITY: Filter by userId
return await ctx.db
  .query("userData")
  .withIndex("by_user", (q) => q.eq("userId", user._id))
  .collect();

}, });

// Audit: Verify ownership before returning sensitive data export const getSensitiveItem = query({ args: { itemId: v.id("sensitiveItems") }, returns: v.union(v.object({ _id: v.id("sensitiveItems"), secret: v.string(), }), v.null()), handler: async (ctx, args) => { const user = await getUser(ctx); if (!user) return null;

const item = await ctx.db.get(args.itemId);

// SECURITY: Verify ownership
if (!item || item.ownerId !== user._id) {
  return null; // Don't reveal if item exists
}

return item;

}, });

// Audit: Shared resources with access list export const getSharedDocument = query({ args: { docId: v.id("documents") }, returns: v.union(v.object({ _id: v.id("documents"), content: v.string(), accessLevel: v.string(), }), v.null()), handler: async (ctx, args) => { const user = await getUser(ctx); const doc = await ctx.db.get(args.docId);

if (!doc) return null;

// Public documents
if (doc.visibility === "public") {
  return { ...doc, accessLevel: "public" };
}

// Must be authenticated for non-public
if (!user) return null;

// Owner has full access
if (doc.ownerId === user._id) {
  return { ...doc, accessLevel: "owner" };
}

// Check shared access
const access = await ctx.db
  .query("documentAccess")
  .withIndex("by_doc_and_user", (q) => 
    q.eq("documentId", args.docId).eq("userId", user._id)
  )
  .unique();

if (!access) return null;

return { ...doc, accessLevel: access.level };

}, });

Action Isolation Audit

// convex/actions.ts "use node";

import { action, internalAction } from "./_generated/server"; import { v } from "convex/values"; import { api, internal } from "./_generated/api"; import { ConvexError } from "convex/values";

// SECURITY: Never expose API keys in responses export const callExternalAPI = action({ args: { query: v.string() }, returns: v.object({ result: v.string() }), handler: async (ctx, args) => { // Verify user is authenticated const identity = await ctx.auth.getUserIdentity(); if (!identity) { throw new ConvexError("Authentication required"); }

// Get API key from environment (not hardcoded)
const apiKey = process.env.EXTERNAL_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) {
  throw new Error("API key not configured");
}

// Log usage for audit trail
await ctx.runMutation(internal.audit.logAPICall, {
  userId: identity.tokenIdentifier,
  endpoint: "external-api",
  timestamp: Date.now(),
});

const response = await fetch("https://api.example.com/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({ query: args.query }),
});

if (!response.ok) {
  // Don't expose external API error details
  throw new ConvexError("External service unavailable");
}

const data = await response.json();

// Sanitize response before returning
return { result: sanitizeResponse(data) };

}, });

// Internal action - not exposed to clients export const _processPayment = internalAction({ args: { userId: v.id("users"), amount: v.number(), paymentMethodId: v.string(), }, returns: v.object({ success: v.boolean(), transactionId: v.optional(v.string()) }), handler: async (ctx, args) => { const stripeKey = process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY;

// Process payment with Stripe
// This should NEVER be exposed as a public action

return { success: true, transactionId: "txn_xxx" };

}, });

Rate Limiting Audit

// convex/rateLimit.ts import { mutation, query } from "./_generated/server"; import { v } from "convex/values"; import { ConvexError } from "convex/values";

const RATE_LIMITS = { message: { requests: 10, windowMs: 60000 }, // 10 per minute upload: { requests: 5, windowMs: 300000 }, // 5 per 5 minutes api: { requests: 100, windowMs: 3600000 }, // 100 per hour };

export const checkRateLimit = mutation({ args: { userId: v.string(), action: v.union(v.literal("message"), v.literal("upload"), v.literal("api")), }, returns: v.object({ allowed: v.boolean(), retryAfter: v.optional(v.number()) }), handler: async (ctx, args) => { const limit = RATE_LIMITS[args.action]; const now = Date.now(); const windowStart = now - limit.windowMs;

// Count requests in window
const requests = await ctx.db
  .query("rateLimits")
  .withIndex("by_user_and_action", (q) => 
    q.eq("userId", args.userId).eq("action", args.action)
  )
  .filter((q) => q.gt(q.field("timestamp"), windowStart))
  .collect();

if (requests.length >= limit.requests) {
  const oldestRequest = requests[0];
  const retryAfter = oldestRequest.timestamp + limit.windowMs - now;
  
  return { allowed: false, retryAfter };
}

// Record this request
await ctx.db.insert("rateLimits", {
  userId: args.userId,
  action: args.action,
  timestamp: now,
});

return { allowed: true };

}, });

// Use in mutations export const sendMessage = mutation({ args: { content: v.string() }, returns: v.id("messages"), handler: async (ctx, args) => { const identity = await ctx.auth.getUserIdentity(); if (!identity) throw new ConvexError("Authentication required");

// Check rate limit
const rateCheck = await checkRateLimit(ctx, {
  userId: identity.tokenIdentifier,
  action: "message",
});

if (!rateCheck.allowed) {
  throw new ConvexError({
    code: "RATE_LIMITED",
    message: `Too many requests. Try again in ${Math.ceil(rateCheck.retryAfter! / 1000)} seconds`,
  });
}

return await ctx.db.insert("messages", {
  content: args.content,
  authorId: identity.tokenIdentifier,
  createdAt: Date.now(),
});

}, });

Sensitive Operations Protection

// convex/admin.ts import { mutation, internalMutation } from "./_generated/server"; import { v } from "convex/values"; import { requireRole, requirePermission } from "./lib/auth"; import { internal } from "./_generated/api";

// Two-factor confirmation for dangerous operations export const deleteAllUserData = mutation({ args: { userId: v.id("users"), confirmationCode: v.string(), }, returns: v.null(), handler: async (ctx, args) => { // Require superadmin const admin = await requireRole(ctx, "superadmin");

// Verify confirmation code
const confirmation = await ctx.db
  .query("confirmations")
  .withIndex("by_admin_and_code", (q) => 
    q.eq("adminId", admin._id).eq("code", args.confirmationCode)
  )
  .filter((q) => q.gt(q.field("expiresAt"), Date.now()))
  .unique();

if (!confirmation || confirmation.action !== "delete_user_data") {
  throw new ConvexError("Invalid or expired confirmation code");
}

// Delete confirmation to prevent reuse
await ctx.db.delete(confirmation._id);

// Schedule deletion (don't do it inline)
await ctx.scheduler.runAfter(0, internal.admin._performDeletion, {
  userId: args.userId,
  requestedBy: admin._id,
});

// Audit log
await ctx.db.insert("auditLogs", {
  action: "delete_user_data",
  targetUserId: args.userId,
  performedBy: admin._id,
  timestamp: Date.now(),
});

return null;

}, });

// Generate confirmation code for sensitive action export const requestDeletionConfirmation = mutation({ args: { userId: v.id("users") }, returns: v.string(), handler: async (ctx, args) => { const admin = await requireRole(ctx, "superadmin");

const code = generateSecureCode();

await ctx.db.insert("confirmations", {
  adminId: admin._id,
  code,
  action: "delete_user_data",
  targetUserId: args.userId,
  expiresAt: Date.now() + 5 * 60 * 1000, // 5 minutes
});

// In production, send code via secure channel (email, SMS)
return code;

}, });

Examples

Complete Audit Trail System

// convex/audit.ts import { mutation, query, internalMutation } from "./_generated/server"; import { v } from "convex/values"; import { getUser, requireRole } from "./lib/auth";

const auditEventValidator = v.object({ _id: v.id("auditLogs"), _creationTime: v.number(), action: v.string(), userId: v.optional(v.string()), resourceType: v.string(), resourceId: v.string(), details: v.optional(v.any()), ipAddress: v.optional(v.string()), timestamp: v.number(), });

// Internal: Log audit event export const logEvent = internalMutation({ args: { action: v.string(), userId: v.optional(v.string()), resourceType: v.string(), resourceId: v.string(), details: v.optional(v.any()), }, returns: v.id("auditLogs"), handler: async (ctx, args) => { return await ctx.db.insert("auditLogs", { ...args, timestamp: Date.now(), }); }, });

// Admin: View audit logs export const getAuditLogs = query({ args: { resourceType: v.optional(v.string()), userId: v.optional(v.string()), limit: v.optional(v.number()), }, returns: v.array(auditEventValidator), handler: async (ctx, args) => { await requireRole(ctx, "admin");

let query = ctx.db.query("auditLogs");

if (args.resourceType) {
  query = query.withIndex("by_resource_type", (q) => 
    q.eq("resourceType", args.resourceType)
  );
}

return await query
  .order("desc")
  .take(args.limit ?? 100);

}, });

Best Practices

Never run npx convex deploy unless explicitly instructed
Never run any git commands unless explicitly instructed
Implement defense in depth (multiple security layers)
Log all sensitive operations for audit trails
Use confirmation codes for destructive actions
Rate limit all user-facing endpoints
Never expose internal API keys or errors
Review access patterns regularly

Common Pitfalls

Single point of failure - Implement multiple auth checks
Missing audit logs - Log all sensitive operations
Trusting client data - Always validate server-side
Exposing error details - Sanitize error messages
No rate limiting - Always implement rate limits

References

Convex Documentation: https://docs.convex.dev/
Convex LLMs.txt: https://docs.convex.dev/llms.txt
Functions Auth: https://docs.convex.dev/auth/functions-auth
Production Security: https://docs.convex.dev/production

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