fix(project): improved access control for project users (backport #56675) (#57180)

Co-authored-by: Diptanil Saha <diptanil@frappe.io>

erpnext/patches.txt

@@ -442,3 +442,4 @@ erpnext.patches.v15_0.backfill_sla_link_filters_on_custom_field
 erpnext.patches.v15_0.backfill_sla_link_filters_on_docfield
 erpnext.patches.v16_0.crm_settings_handle_allowed_users_for_frappe_crm
 erpnext.patches.v16_0.backfill_pick_list_transferred_qty
+erpnext.patches.v16_0.access_control_for_project_users

erpnext/patches/v16_0/access_control_for_project_users.py

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import frappe
+
+
+def execute():
+	Project = frappe.qb.DocType("Project")
+	ProjectUser = frappe.qb.DocType("Project User")
+
+	query = (
+		frappe.qb.from_(Project)
+		.join(ProjectUser)
+		.on(Project.name == ProjectUser.parent)
+		.select(Project.name, ProjectUser.user)
+	)
+
+	proj_users = query.run(as_dict=1)
+
+	project_mapped_users = get_project_mapped_users(proj_users)
+
+	for d in proj_users:
+		if d.user in project_mapped_users[d.name]:
+			continue
+
+		frappe.share.add_docshare("Project", d.name, user=d.user)
+
+
+def get_project_mapped_users(proj_users):
+	projects = set([d.name for d in proj_users])
+	project_mapped_users = {}
+
+	for d in projects:
+		project_mapped_users[d] = [d.user for d in frappe.share.get_users("Project", d)]
+
+	return project_mapped_users

erpnext/projects/doctype/project/project.json

@@ -205,13 +205,15 @@
    "fieldname": "users",
    "fieldtype": "Table",
    "label": "Users",
-   "options": "Project User"
+   "options": "Project User",
+   "permlevel": 1
   },
   {
    "fieldname": "copied_from",
    "fieldtype": "Data",
    "hidden": 1,
    "label": "Copied From",
+   "permlevel": 1,
    "read_only": 1
   },
   {
@@ -464,13 +466,25 @@
  "index_web_pages_for_search": 1,
  "links": [],
  "max_attachments": 4,
- "modified": "2026-07-14 14:20:50.418911",
+ "modified": "2026-07-14 14:32:11.328347",
  "modified_by": "Administrator",
  "module": "Projects",
  "name": "Project",
  "naming_rule": "By \"Naming Series\" field",
  "owner": "Administrator",
  "permissions": [
+  {
+   "delete": 1,
+   "email": 1,
+   "export": 1,
+   "permlevel": 1,
+   "print": 1,
+   "read": 1,
+   "report": 1,
+   "role": "Projects Manager",
+   "share": 1,
+   "write": 1
+  },
   {
    "create": 1,
    "delete": 1,

erpnext/projects/doctype/project/project.py

@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ class Project(Document):
 	def validate(self):
 		if not self.is_new():
 			self.copy_from_template()  # nosemgrep
+			self.control_access_for_project_users()
 		self.send_welcome_email()
 		self.update_costing()
 		self.update_percent_complete()
@@ -207,6 +208,7 @@ class Project(Document):
 		self.copy_from_template()  # nosemgrep
 		if self.sales_order:
 			frappe.db.set_value("Sales Order", self.sales_order, "project", self.name)
+		self.control_access_for_project_users()
 
 	def on_trash(self):
 		frappe.db.set_value("Sales Order", {"project": self.name}, "project", "")
@@ -377,6 +379,34 @@ class Project(Document):
 					)
 					user.welcome_email_sent = 1
 
+	def control_access_for_project_users(self):
+		def revoke_access_for_project_users(removed_users):
+			users = set([d.user for d in frappe.share.get_users(self.doctype, self.name)])
+			for user in removed_users:
+				if user not in users:
+					continue
+
+				frappe.share.remove(self.doctype, self.name, user)
+
+		def grant_access_for_project_users(new_users):
+			for user in new_users:
+				frappe.share.add_docshare(self.doctype, self.name, user=user)
+
+		current_users = set([d.user for d in self.users])
+		old_doc = self.get_doc_before_save()
+
+		if not old_doc:
+			grant_access_for_project_users(current_users)
+			return
+
+		previous_users = set([d.user for d in old_doc.users])
+
+		new_users = current_users - previous_users
+		removed_users = previous_users - current_users
+
+		revoke_access_for_project_users(removed_users)
+		grant_access_for_project_users(new_users)
+
 
 def get_timeline_data(doctype: str, name: str) -> dict[int, int]:
 	"""Return timeline for attendance"""

erpnext/projects/doctype/project/test_project.py

@@ -227,6 +227,61 @@ class TestProject(FrappeTestCase):
 		project.save()
 		self.assertEqual(project.status, "Completed")
 
+	def _create_portal_user(self, email):
+		"""A user with no Project-related role, so read access can only come from
+		control_access_for_project_users() sharing the doc with them."""
+		if not frappe.db.exists("User", email):
+			frappe.get_doc(
+				{
+					"doctype": "User",
+					"email": email,
+					"first_name": "Portal",
+					"send_welcome_email": 0,
+				}
+			).insert(ignore_permissions=True)
+		return email
+
+	def test_new_project_grants_access_to_its_users(self):
+		member = self._create_portal_user(f"new_proj_member_{frappe.generate_hash(length=6)}@example.com")
+
+		project = frappe.get_doc(
+			doctype="Project",
+			project_name=f"_Test New Project Access {frappe.generate_hash(length=6)}",
+			status="Open",
+			company="_Test Company",
+		)
+		project.append("users", {"user": member, "welcome_email_sent": 1})
+		project.insert()  # must not raise
+
+		self.assertTrue(project.has_permission(user=member))
+		shared_with = [d.user for d in frappe.share.get_users("Project", project.name)]
+		self.assertIn(member, shared_with)
+
+	def test_adding_and_removing_project_user_updates_access(self):
+		stays = self._create_portal_user(f"stays_{frappe.generate_hash(length=6)}@example.com")
+		leaves = self._create_portal_user(f"leaves_{frappe.generate_hash(length=6)}@example.com")
+
+		project = frappe.get_doc(
+			doctype="Project",
+			project_name=f"_Test Project User Membership {frappe.generate_hash(length=6)}",
+			status="Open",
+			company="_Test Company",
+		)
+		project.append("users", {"user": stays, "welcome_email_sent": 1})
+		project.insert()
+		self.assertTrue(project.has_permission(user=stays))
+
+		# adding a user on update (not insert) must also grant them access
+		project.append("users", {"user": leaves, "welcome_email_sent": 1})
+		project.save()
+		self.assertTrue(project.has_permission(user=leaves))
+
+		# removing a user must revoke the share that was granted for membership
+		project.users = [d for d in project.users if d.user != leaves]
+		project.save()
+		self.assertFalse(project.has_permission(user=leaves))
+		self.assertTrue(project.has_permission(user=stays))
+
 
 def get_project(name, template):
 	project = frappe.get_doc(

erpnext/templates/pages/projects.py

@@ -6,21 +6,12 @@ import frappe
 
 
 def get_context(context):
-	project_user = frappe.db.get_value(
+	project_user = validate_and_get_project_user(project=frappe.form_dict.project)
-		"Project User",
-		{"parent": frappe.form_dict.project, "user": frappe.session.user},
-		["user", "view_attachments", "hide_timesheets"],
-		as_dict=True,
-	)
-	if frappe.session.user != "Administrator" and (not project_user or frappe.session.user == "Guest"):
-		raise frappe.PermissionError
 
 	context.no_cache = 1
 	context.show_sidebar = True
 	project = frappe.get_doc("Project", frappe.form_dict.project)
 
-	project.has_permission("read")
-
 	project.tasks = get_tasks(
 		project.name, start=0, item_status="open", search=frappe.form_dict.get("search")
 	)
@@ -66,6 +57,7 @@ def get_tasks(project, start=0, search=None, item_status=None):
 
 @frappe.whitelist()
 def get_task_html(project: str, start: int = 0, item_status: str | None = None):
+	validate_and_get_project_user(project=project)
 	return frappe.render_template(
 		"erpnext/templates/includes/projects/project_tasks.html",
 		{
@@ -106,6 +98,7 @@ def get_timesheets(project, start=0, search=None):
 
 @frappe.whitelist()
 def get_timesheet_html(project: str, start: int = 0):
+	validate_and_get_project_user(project=project)
 	return frappe.render_template(
 		"erpnext/templates/includes/projects/project_timesheets.html",
 		{"doc": {"timesheets": get_timesheets(project, start)}},
@@ -119,3 +112,12 @@ def get_attachments(project):
 		filters={"attached_to_name": project, "attached_to_doctype": "Project", "is_private": 0},
 		fields=["file_name", "file_url", "file_size"],
 	)
+
+
+def validate_and_get_project_user(project: str):
+	project_doc = frappe.get_doc("Project", project)
+	project_doc.check_permission()
+
+	project_user = next((d for d in project_doc.users if d.user == frappe.session.user), None)
+
+	return project_user

erpnext/templates/pages/test_projects.py

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2026, Frappe Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and Contributors
+# License: GNU General Public License v3. See license.txt
+
+import frappe
+from frappe.tests.utils import FrappeTestCase
+
+from erpnext.projects.doctype.project.test_project import make_project
+from erpnext.templates.pages.projects import validate_and_get_project_user
+
+
+class TestProjectsPage(FrappeTestCase):
+	"""validate_and_get_project_user() gates the /projects portal page. It must raise
+	frappe.PermissionError for a user who can't read the Project, and otherwise return
+	that user's Project User row (or None if they're permitted but not listed as one --
+	e.g. an internal Projects Manager browsing the portal)."""
+
+	def _create_user(self, email):
+		if not frappe.db.exists("User", email):
+			frappe.get_doc(
+				{
+					"doctype": "User",
+					"email": email,
+					"first_name": "Portal",
+					"send_welcome_email": 0,
+				}
+			).insert(ignore_permissions=True)
+		return email
+
+	def test_raises_permission_error_for_user_without_access(self):
+		project = make_project({"project_name": f"_Test Portal Access {frappe.generate_hash(length=6)}"})
+		outsider = self._create_user(f"outsider_{frappe.generate_hash(length=6)}@example.com")
+
+		with self.set_user(outsider):
+			self.assertRaises(frappe.PermissionError, validate_and_get_project_user, project.name)
+
+	def test_allows_user_listed_as_project_user_and_returns_their_row(self):
+		# Being a Project User shares the Project with that user (see
+		# Project.control_access_for_project_users), which is what lets them past
+		# check_permission() here.
+		member = self._create_user(f"member_{frappe.generate_hash(length=6)}@example.com")
+
+		project = frappe.get_doc(
+			doctype="Project",
+			project_name=f"_Test Portal Access {frappe.generate_hash(length=6)}",
+			status="Open",
+			company="_Test Company",
+		)
+		project.append(
+			"users", {"user": member, "view_attachments": 1, "hide_timesheets": 1, "welcome_email_sent": 1}
+		)
+		project.insert()
+
+		with self.set_user(member):
+			project_user = validate_and_get_project_user(project.name)
+
+		self.assertIsNotNone(project_user)
+		self.assertEqual(project_user.user, member)
+		self.assertEqual(project_user.view_attachments, 1)
+		self.assertEqual(project_user.hide_timesheets, 1)
+
+	def test_allows_internally_permitted_user_not_listed_as_project_user(self):
+		# The permission gate must be the real permission system (check_permission()),
+		# not "is this user in the Project's users child table" -- a Projects Manager
+		# can open any project's portal page without ever being added as its user.
+		project = make_project({"project_name": f"_Test Portal Access {frappe.generate_hash(length=6)}"})
+		manager = self._create_user(f"manager_{frappe.generate_hash(length=6)}@example.com")
+		frappe.get_doc("User", manager).add_roles("Projects Manager")
+
+		with self.set_user(manager):
+			project_user = validate_and_get_project_user(project.name)
+
+		self.assertIsNone(project_user)