---
title: Authentication and Authorization
description: Harden the SQL API with `checkSqlAuth`, per-user passwords, security-context switching, and row-level enforcement hooks.
---

Cube can be configured with dynamic username & password verification system by
setting a [`checkSqlAuth()`][ref-config-check-sql-auth] function in the
configuration file. This function should verify username and return
an object with password and security context.

If password returned from this function matches provided in connection string
user will be authenticated with provided security context.

```javascript
module.exports = {
  checkSqlAuth: async (req, username) => {
    if (username === "fooUser") {
      return {
        password: "mypassword",
        securityContext: {}
      }
    }

    throw new Error("Incorrect user name or password")
  }
}
```

## Security Context (Row-Level Security)

Cube's SQL API can also use the Security Context for [Dynamic data model
creation][ref-dynamic-schemas] or [`queryRewrite`][ref-config-queryrewrite]
property in your configuration file.

By default, the SQL API uses the current user's Security Context, but this
behaviour can be modified so that certain users are allowed to switch. To do
this, we must first define which user is allowed to change Security Context:

### Example

First, you need to define what user is allowed to change security context:

```dotenv
CUBEJS_SQL_SUPER_USER=admin
```

Then configure the [`contextToAppId()`][ref-config-ctx-to-app-id],
[`queryRewrite()`][ref-config-queryrewrite] and
[`checkSqlAuth()`][ref-config-check-sql-auth] properties in your `cube.js`
configuration file:

```javascripttitle="cube.js"
module.exports = {
  // Create a new appId for each team so that a separate data model is
  // compiled for each of them and `COMPILE_CONTEXT` can be used below
  // https://cube.dev/docs/product/configuration/reference/config#context_to_app_id
  contextToAppId: ({ securityContext }) => {
    return securityContext.team
  },

  // Enforce a default value for `team` if one is not provided
  // in the security context
  // https://cube.dev/docs/product/configuration/reference/config#extendcontext
  extendContext: ({ securityContext }) => {
    if (!securityContext.team) {
      securityContext.team = "public"
    }

    return {
      securityContext
    }
  },

  // Here we create a new security context for each team so that we can
  // use it in our data model later
  checkSqlAuth: (query, username) => {
    const securityContext = {
      team: username
    }

    return {
      password: process.env.CUBEJS_SQL_PASSWORD,
      securityContext: securityContext
    }
  }
}
```

Now, you can use the `securityContext` in your data model:

```twigtitle="model/cubes/users.yml"
{# Is the current team trusted? #}
{% set trusted_teams = ['cx', 'exec' ] %}
{% set is_trusted_team = COMPILE_CONTEXT.securityContext.team in trusted_teams %}

{# Convenient function to mask values if the current team is not trusted #}
{% macro masked(sql, is_visible) -%}
{{ sql if is_visible else "\"'--- masked ---'\"" }}
{%- endmacro %}

cubes:
  - name: users
    sql_table: users
    public: false

    dimensions:

      {# This property will be masked unless the requesting user is part of a trusted team #}
      - name: first_name
        sql: {{ masked('first_name', is_trusted_team) }}
        type: string

      {# This property will be masked unless the requesting user is part of a trusted team #}
      - name: last_name
        sql: {{ masked('last_name', is_trusted_team) }}
        type: string

      - name: state
        sql: state
        type: string

      - name: city
        sql: city
        type: string

      - name: created_at
        sql: created_at
        type: time

    measures:
      - name: count
        type: count

```

## Virtual User Filter

With the above now configured, we can query Cube using SQL with a user that is
part of a trusted team:

```sql
SELECT users_city, users_first_name, users_last_name
FROM users
WHERE __user = 'cx'
```

This pairs well with other security functionality in tools like Preset, which
allows configuring [row-level security to allow
access][preset-docs-rls-inclusive] to data based on the current user's security
context.

If it's not enough for your case, you define your logic for check with
[`canSwitchSqlUser` property][ref-config-can-switch-sql-user] in your `cube.js`
configuration file.

You can change security context for specific query via virtual filter on:

```sql
SELECT * FROM orders WHERE __user = 'anotheruser';
```

[preset-docs-rls-inclusive]:
  https://docs.preset.io/docs/row-level-security-rls#define-inclusive-regular-rls-filter
[ref-config-can-switch-sql-user]: /reference/configuration/config#canswitchsqluser
[ref-config-check-sql-auth]: /reference/configuration/config#checksqlauth
[ref-config-ctx-to-app-id]: /reference/configuration/config#context_to_app_id
[ref-config-queryrewrite]: /reference/configuration/config#queryrewrite
[ref-dynamic-schemas]: /docs/data-modeling/dynamic