---
id: "bug-1951"
status: "open"
status_updated: "2026-10-10"
status_note: "newly logged"
component: "apiserver"
severity: "crash"
timestamp: "2026-10-10T08:15:14Z"
last_seen: "2026-10-10T08:15:14Z"
occurrences: 1
files: ["src/frontend/apiserver/backend/auth/config_file.go"]
tags: ["apiserver", "auth", "config", "crash"]
related: []
---

# bug-1951: apiserver crashes on an auth.yaml without a config_file block (nil pointer)

## Description
**Observed:** (source reading, `.kiro/reviews/project-gap-review-2026-10-10.md` (P0); to be confirmed by a failing test before the fix)
`backend/auth/config_file.go:39` reads `cfg.ConfigFile.Users` without checking `cfg.ConfigFile` for nil.

**Expected:** A missing block is a clear configuration error, not a panic.
**Impact:** Crash at startup or login with a minimal auth.yaml.
**Found by:** review: `.kiro/reviews/project-gap-review-2026-10-10.md` (P0)
## 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 @ 94472ee3-dirty
- Deployment: any (found by source reading; the failing test that confirms it is named in Verification)

## Reproduction
1. Start the apiserver with an `auth.yaml` that selects config-file auth but has no `config_file:` block.
- 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
TODO: required for fixed/partial

## Fix
TODO: required for fixed/partial

## Verification
- Test: TODO: name + file; RED before the fix, GREEN after
- Suites: TODO: suite results and build profile
- Live: TODO: soak/deploy run, or n/a and why

## References
- Related: none