From a35b37adcd2cc21c41c9f98c6f7dc26f2551e022 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Classic298 <27028174+Classic298@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:02:12 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] fix: keep chats shared with an admin readable when
 ENABLE_ADMIN_CHAT_ACCESS is off (#27127)

get_chat_by_id sent admins down a branch that returned the chat only when
ENABLE_ADMIN_CHAT_ACCESS was on, or the chat was internal, and never fell
through to the access-grant and shared-folder checks. With the setting off,
an admin was therefore denied a chat that had been deliberately shared with
them, either directly or through a shared folder, while any non-admin holding
the same grant could open it. The admin role removed access the user had been
given rather than only closing the admin-only path.

Try the admin path first, then let everyone fall through to the grant and
folder checks. ENABLE_ADMIN_CHAT_ACCESS=false still closes the admin-only
route to other users' chats, and internal chats stay reachable.
---
 backend/open_webui/routers/chats.py | 47 +++++++++++++++--------------
 1 file changed, 24 insertions(+), 23 deletions(-)

diff --git a/backend/open_webui/routers/chats.py b/backend/open_webui/routers/chats.py
index 0f1a32251d..a136d3679d 100644
--- a/backend/open_webui/routers/chats.py
+++ b/backend/open_webui/routers/chats.py
@@ -1203,30 +1203,31 @@ async def compact_chat_by_id(
 async def get_chat_by_id(id: str, user=Depends(get_verified_user), db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_async_session)):
     chat = await Chats.get_chat_by_id_and_user_id(id, user.id, db=db)
 
-    if not chat:
-        # Check if user has access via access grants (shared_chat grants)
-        if user.role == 'admin':
-            candidate = await Chats.get_chat_by_id(id, db=db)
-            if ENABLE_ADMIN_CHAT_ACCESS or (candidate and is_internal_chat(candidate.meta)):
-                chat = candidate
-        else:
-            has_grant = await AccessGrants.has_access(
-                user_id=user.id,
-                resource_type='shared_chat',
-                resource_id=id,
-                permission='read',
-                db=db,
-            )
-            if has_grant:
-                chat = await Chats.get_chat_by_id(id, db=db)
+    if not chat and user.role == 'admin':
+        candidate = await Chats.get_chat_by_id(id, db=db)
+        if ENABLE_ADMIN_CHAT_ACCESS or (candidate and is_internal_chat(candidate.meta)):
+            chat = candidate
 
-            # Check folder-based access (shared folders)
-            if not chat:
-                candidate = await Chats.get_chat_by_id(id, db=db)
-                if candidate and candidate.folder_id:
-                    folder = await Folders.get_folder_by_id(candidate.folder_id, db=db)
-                    if folder and await has_folder_access(user.id, folder, 'read', db):
-                        chat = candidate
+    # Access explicitly granted to this user applies to admins too, so an admin
+    # does not lose a chat shared with them when ENABLE_ADMIN_CHAT_ACCESS is off.
+    if not chat:
+        has_grant = await AccessGrants.has_access(
+            user_id=user.id,
+            resource_type='shared_chat',
+            resource_id=id,
+            permission='read',
+            db=db,
+        )
+        if has_grant:
+            chat = await Chats.get_chat_by_id(id, db=db)
+
+        # Check folder-based access (shared folders)
+        if not chat:
+            candidate = await Chats.get_chat_by_id(id, db=db)
+            if candidate and candidate.folder_id:
+                folder = await Folders.get_folder_by_id(candidate.folder_id, db=db)
+                if folder and await has_folder_access(user.id, folder, 'read', db):
+                    chat = candidate
 
     if chat:
         data = ChatResponse(**chat.model_dump()).model_dump()