---
id: "bug-1962"
status: "fixed"
status_updated: "2026-10-10"
status_note: ""
component: "apiserver"
severity: "security"
timestamp: "2026-10-10T10:16:07Z"
last_seen: "2026-10-10T10:16:07Z"
occurrences: 1
files: ["src/frontend/apiserver/middleware/validatehandler.go"]
tags: ["apiserver", "security", "jwt"]
related: []
fix_commits: ["387a421c"]
gitea_issue: 393
gitea_synced_status: "fixed"
gitea_synced_hash: "409f4cc5764b"
---

# bug-1962: apiserver JWT excluded-path check drops the last character of every entry, matching unintended paths

## Description
**Observed:** (source reading; follow-up of the 2026-10-10 P0 fixes (bug-1936..1957))
`ValidateHandler.isExcludedPath` (`middleware/validatehandler.go:52-61`) trims the last character of every excluded entry, not only a trailing `*`, and matches by prefix: `/ping` matches any path starting with `/pin`, and `/swagger/*any` never matches.

**Expected:** Exact entries match exactly; only entries ending in `*` match by prefix.
**Impact:** Security: paths that merely share a prefix with an excluded entry skip JWT validation.
**Found by:** follow-up of the 2026-10-10 P0 fixes (bug-1936..1957)
## Environment
- OS: no /etc/os-release; Docker container; NixOS kernel; kernel Linux 6.18.33 x86_64
- libc: glibc 2.42-47 (interpreter /nix/store/wb6rhpznjfczwlwx23zmdrrw74bayxw4-glibc-2.42-47/lib/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2)
- Toolchain: gcc (GCC) 15.2.0, meson 1.9.1
- Build: asan (xce.build)
- Code: scheduler-framework @ 19be145d-dirty
- Deployment: any (found by source reading; confirmed by the RED test of the fix)

## Reproduction
1. Request `/pinX` (or any route sharing the prefix) without a token: JWT validation is skipped.
- Frequency: deterministic (by code reading; confirmed by the RED test of the fix)
- Evidence: the code sites quoted in Description; no logs kept.
## Root cause
`isExcludedPath` (`middleware/validatehandler.go`) cut the last character of every excluded entry and matched by prefix. Pre-existing.

## Fix
The (hardcoded) excluded list moved to `jwtExcludedPaths`; entries match exactly; an entry ending in a gin catch-all segment (`/swagger/*any`) matches anything under `/swagger/`; ping, logon, logout and swagger still excluded.

## Verification
- Test: `TestIsExcludedPath`, `TestValidateHandler_PrefixLookAlikeNeedsToken` (`middleware/validatehandler_test.go`): RED `isExcludedPath("/pinX") = true, want false`, `isExcludedPath("/swagger/index.html") = false, want true`, `/pinX without a token reached the handler (status 200)`; GREEN after.
- Suites: `xce-build.sh all asan xce.build --incremental` on the merged branch, 2026-10-10: C suites Ok 157 / Fail 0; frontend Go tests ok (the build now also runs apiserver cmd, middleware, models and router)
- Live: n/a: unit/fixture-level verification; no live deployment was run

## References
- Fix commits: `387a421c` (on `scheduler-framework`)
- Found as a follow-up of the 2026-10-10 P0 fixes (bug-1936..1957)