implement "acting on behalf of user" for workflows and agents (#15103)

## Summary
**Step 1 of 2:** Implements the "acting on behalf of user" concept for
workflows and agents to prevent permission escalation and maintain
proper audit trails.

## Problem
Previously, workflows and agents would bypass permissions regardless of
who initiated them, allowing users to escalate their privileges by
triggering workflows that performed actions they couldn't do directly.

## Solution

### For Workflows
Introduced `WorkflowExecutionContext` service that determines execution
mode:
- **Manual triggers/test button**: Uses user's roleId for permissions,
user's identity for `createdBy`
- **Automated triggers** (cron, database events, webhooks): Bypasses
permissions, uses workflow identity

### For Agents
**In Chat:**
- Always act on behalf of the user
- Use user's roleId for permission checks
- Use user's identity for `createdBy`


# Step 1 vs Step 2

### ✅ Step 1 (This PR): Acting on Behalf Concept
- Introduced `isActingOnBehalfOfUser` boolean concept
- Single roleId used for permission checks (user's OR system bypass)
- `createdBy` field properly attributes actions to initiator
- Prevents permission escalation in user-initiated flows

### 🔜 Step 2 (Future): Multi-Role Permission Support
- Support role intersection: `{ intersection: ['roleA', 'roleB'] }`
- Support role union: `{ union: ['roleA', 'roleB', 'roleC'] }`
- Enable user+agent collaboration scenarios
- Update `WorkspaceEntityManager` and `WorkspaceDatasource` to handle
multiple roleIds

---------

Co-authored-by: Félix Malfait <felix.malfait@gmail.com>

packages/twenty-server/src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/services/workflow-execution-context.service.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
+
+import { isDefined } from 'twenty-shared/utils';
+
+import { UserWorkspaceService as UserService } from 'src/engine/core-modules/user-workspace/user-workspace.service';
+import { FieldActorSource } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/field-metadata/composite-types/actor.composite-type';
+import { UserRoleService } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/user-role/user-role.service';
+import { type WorkflowExecutionContext } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-execution-context.type';
+import { WorkflowRunWorkspaceService as WorkflowRunService } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-runner/workflow-run/workflow-run.workspace-service';
+
+@Injectable()
+export class WorkflowExecutionContextService {
+  constructor(
+    private readonly workflowRunService: WorkflowRunService,
+    private readonly userService: UserService,
+    private readonly userRoleService: UserRoleService,
+  ) {}
+
+  async getExecutionContext(runInfo: {
+    workflowRunId: string;
+    workspaceId: string;
+  }): Promise<WorkflowExecutionContext> {
+    const workflowRun = await this.workflowRunService.getWorkflowRunOrFail({
+      workflowRunId: runInfo.workflowRunId,
+      workspaceId: runInfo.workspaceId,
+    });
+
+    const isActingOnBehalfOfUser =
+      workflowRun.createdBy.source === FieldActorSource.MANUAL &&
+      isDefined(workflowRun.createdBy.workspaceMemberId);
+
+    let roleId: string | undefined;
+
+    if (isActingOnBehalfOfUser) {
+      const workspaceMember = await this.userService.getWorkspaceMemberOrThrow({
+        workspaceMemberId: workflowRun.createdBy.workspaceMemberId!,
+        workspaceId: runInfo.workspaceId,
+      });
+
+      const userWorkspace =
+        await this.userService.getUserWorkspaceForUserOrThrow({
+          userId: workspaceMember.userId,
+          workspaceId: runInfo.workspaceId,
+        });
+
+      roleId = await this.userRoleService.getRoleIdForUserWorkspace({
+        userWorkspaceId: userWorkspace.id,
+        workspaceId: runInfo.workspaceId,
+      });
+    }
+
+    return {
+      isActingOnBehalfOfUser,
+      initiator: workflowRun.createdBy,
+      roleId,
+    };
+  }
+}

packages/twenty-server/src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-execution-context.type.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import { type ActorMetadata } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/field-metadata/composite-types/actor.composite-type';
+
+export type WorkflowExecutionContext = {
+  isActingOnBehalfOfUser: boolean;
+  initiator: ActorMetadata;
+  roleId?: string;
+};

packages/twenty-server/src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/ai-agent/ai-agent-action.module.ts

@@ -2,21 +2,28 @@ import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
 import { TypeOrmModule } from '@nestjs/typeorm';
 
 import { AiModule } from 'src/engine/core-modules/ai/ai.module';
+import { UserWorkspaceModule } from 'src/engine/core-modules/user-workspace/user-workspace.module';
 import { AgentEntity } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/agent/agent.entity';
 import { RoleTargetsEntity } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/role/role-targets.entity';
-import { RoleEntity } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/role/role.entity';
+import { UserRoleModule } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/user-role/user-role.module';
 import { ScopedWorkspaceContextFactory } from 'src/engine/twenty-orm/factories/scoped-workspace-context.factory';
+import { WorkflowExecutionContextService } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/services/workflow-execution-context.service';
 import { AiAgentExecutorService } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/ai-agent/services/ai-agent-executor.service';
+import { WorkflowRunModule } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-runner/workflow-run/workflow-run.module';
 
 import { AiAgentWorkflowAction } from './ai-agent.workflow-action';
 
 @Module({
   imports: [
     AiModule,
-    TypeOrmModule.forFeature([AgentEntity, RoleTargetsEntity, RoleEntity]),
+    TypeOrmModule.forFeature([AgentEntity, RoleTargetsEntity]),
+    WorkflowRunModule,
+    UserWorkspaceModule,
+    UserRoleModule,
   ],
   providers: [
     ScopedWorkspaceContextFactory,
+    WorkflowExecutionContextService,
     AiAgentWorkflowAction,
     AiAgentExecutorService,
   ],

packages/twenty-server/src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/ai-agent/ai-agent.workflow-action.ts

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   WorkflowStepExecutorException,
   WorkflowStepExecutorExceptionCode,
 } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/exceptions/workflow-step-executor.exception';
+import { WorkflowExecutionContextService } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/services/workflow-execution-context.service';
 import { type WorkflowActionInput } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-action-input';
 import { type WorkflowActionOutput } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-action-output.type';
 import { findStepOrThrow } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/utils/find-step-or-throw.util';
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ export class AiAgentWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
   constructor(
     private readonly aiAgentExecutionService: AiAgentExecutorService,
     private readonly aiBillingService: AIBillingService,
+    private readonly workflowExecutionContextService: WorkflowExecutionContextService,
     @InjectRepository(AgentEntity)
     private readonly agentRepository: Repository<AgentEntity>,
   ) {}
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ export class AiAgentWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
     currentStepId,
     steps,
     context,
+    runInfo,
   }: WorkflowActionInput): Promise<WorkflowActionOutput> {
     const step = findStepOrThrow({
       stepId: currentStepId,
@@ -71,11 +74,18 @@ export class AiAgentWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
         );
       }
 
+      const executionContext =
+        await this.workflowExecutionContextService.getExecutionContext(runInfo);
+
       const { result, usage } = await this.aiAgentExecutionService.executeAgent(
         {
           agent,
           schema: step.settings.outputSchema,
           userPrompt: resolveInput(prompt, context) as string,
+          actorContext: executionContext.isActingOnBehalfOfUser
+            ? executionContext.initiator
+            : undefined,
+          roleId: executionContext.roleId,
         },
       );
 

packages/twenty-server/src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/ai-agent/services/ai-agent-executor.service.ts

@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ import {
 import { AGENT_CONFIG } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/agent/constants/agent-config.const';
 import { AGENT_SYSTEM_PROMPTS } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/agent/constants/agent-system-prompts.const';
 import { convertOutputSchemaToZod } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/agent/utils/convert-output-schema-to-zod';
+import { type ActorMetadata } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/field-metadata/composite-types/actor.composite-type';
 import { RoleTargetsEntity } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/role/role-targets.entity';
-import { RoleEntity } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/role/role.entity';
 import { OutputSchema } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-builder/workflow-schema/types/output-schema.type';
 
 @Injectable()
@@ -28,14 +28,14 @@ export class AiAgentExecutorService {
     private readonly toolAdapterService: ToolAdapterService,
     @InjectRepository(RoleTargetsEntity)
     private readonly roleTargetsRepository: Repository<RoleTargetsEntity>,
-    @InjectRepository(RoleEntity)
-    private readonly roleRepository: Repository<RoleEntity>,
     private readonly toolService: ToolService,
   ) {}
 
   private async getTools(
     agentId: string,
     workspaceId: string,
+    actorContext?: ActorMetadata,
+    roleIdOverride?: string,
   ): Promise<ToolSet> {
     const roleTarget = await this.roleTargetsRepository.findOne({
       where: {
@@ -45,27 +45,23 @@ export class AiAgentExecutorService {
       select: ['roleId'],
     });
 
-    const role = await this.roleRepository.findOne({
-      where: {
-        id: roleTarget?.roleId,
-        workspaceId,
-      },
-    });
+    const effectiveRoleId = roleIdOverride || roleTarget?.roleId;
 
-    if (!roleTarget?.roleId || !role) {
+    if (!effectiveRoleId) {
       const actionTools = await this.toolAdapterService.getTools();
 
       return { ...actionTools };
     }
 
     const actionTools = await this.toolAdapterService.getTools(
-      role.id,
+      effectiveRoleId,
       workspaceId,
     );
 
     const databaseTools = await this.toolService.listTools(
-      role.id,
+      effectiveRoleId,
       workspaceId,
+      actorContext,
     );
 
     return {
@@ -78,17 +74,21 @@ export class AiAgentExecutorService {
     agent,
     schema,
     userPrompt,
+    actorContext,
+    roleId,
   }: {
     agent: AgentEntity | null;
     schema: OutputSchema;
     userPrompt: string;
+    actorContext?: ActorMetadata;
+    roleId?: string;
   }): Promise<AgentExecutionResult> {
     try {
       const registeredModel =
         await this.aiModelRegistryService.resolveModelForAgent(agent);
 
       const tools = agent
-        ? await this.getTools(agent.id, agent.workspaceId)
+        ? await this.getTools(agent.id, agent.workspaceId, actorContext, roleId)
         : {};
 
       this.logger.log(`Generated ${Object.keys(tools).length} tools for agent`);

packages/twenty-server/src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/record-crud/create-record.workflow-action.ts

@@ -9,9 +9,15 @@ import {
   RecordCrudExceptionCode,
 } from 'src/engine/core-modules/record-crud/exceptions/record-crud.exception';
 import { CreateRecordService } from 'src/engine/core-modules/record-crud/services/create-record.service';
+import {
+  type ActorMetadata,
+  FieldActorSource,
+} from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/field-metadata/composite-types/actor.composite-type';
 import { ScopedWorkspaceContextFactory } from 'src/engine/twenty-orm/factories/scoped-workspace-context.factory';
+import { WorkflowExecutionContextService } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/services/workflow-execution-context.service';
 import { type WorkflowActionInput } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-action-input';
 import { type WorkflowActionOutput } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-action-output.type';
+import { type WorkflowExecutionContext } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-execution-context.type';
 import { findStepOrThrow } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/utils/find-step-or-throw.util';
 import { type WorkflowCreateRecordActionInput } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/record-crud/types/workflow-record-crud-action-input.type';
 
@@ -20,12 +26,14 @@ export class CreateRecordWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
   constructor(
     private readonly createRecordService: CreateRecordService,
     private readonly scopedWorkspaceContextFactory: ScopedWorkspaceContextFactory,
+    private readonly workflowExecutionContextService: WorkflowExecutionContextService,
   ) {}
 
   async execute({
     currentStepId,
     steps,
     context,
+    runInfo,
   }: WorkflowActionInput): Promise<WorkflowActionOutput> {
     const step = findStepOrThrow({
       steps,
@@ -46,10 +54,17 @@ export class CreateRecordWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
       context,
     ) as WorkflowCreateRecordActionInput;
 
+    const executionContext =
+      await this.workflowExecutionContextService.getExecutionContext(runInfo);
+
+    const createdBy = this.buildCreatedByActor(executionContext);
+
     const toolOutput = await this.createRecordService.execute({
       objectName: workflowActionInput.objectName,
       objectRecord: workflowActionInput.objectRecord,
       workspaceId,
+      createdBy,
+      roleId: executionContext.roleId,
     });
 
     if (!toolOutput.success) {
@@ -63,4 +78,19 @@ export class CreateRecordWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
       result: toolOutput.result,
     };
   }
+
+  private buildCreatedByActor(
+    executionContext: WorkflowExecutionContext,
+  ): ActorMetadata {
+    if (executionContext.isActingOnBehalfOfUser) {
+      return executionContext.initiator;
+    }
+
+    return {
+      source: FieldActorSource.WORKFLOW,
+      name: 'Workflow',
+      workspaceMemberId: null,
+      context: {},
+    };
+  }
 }

packages/twenty-server/src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/record-crud/delete-record.workflow-action.ts

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   WorkflowStepExecutorException,
   WorkflowStepExecutorExceptionCode,
 } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/exceptions/workflow-step-executor.exception';
+import { WorkflowExecutionContextService } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/services/workflow-execution-context.service';
 import { type WorkflowActionInput } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-action-input';
 import { type WorkflowActionOutput } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-action-output.type';
 import { findStepOrThrow } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/utils/find-step-or-throw.util';
@@ -25,12 +26,14 @@ export class DeleteRecordWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
   constructor(
     private readonly deleteRecordService: DeleteRecordService,
     private readonly scopedWorkspaceContextFactory: ScopedWorkspaceContextFactory,
+    private readonly workflowExecutionContextService: WorkflowExecutionContextService,
   ) {}
 
   async execute({
     currentStepId,
     steps,
     context,
+    runInfo,
   }: WorkflowActionInput): Promise<WorkflowActionOutput> {
     const step = findStepOrThrow({
       steps,
@@ -69,10 +72,14 @@ export class DeleteRecordWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
       );
     }
 
+    const executionContext =
+      await this.workflowExecutionContextService.getExecutionContext(runInfo);
+
     const toolOutput = await this.deleteRecordService.execute({
       objectName: workflowActionInput.objectName,
       objectRecordId: workflowActionInput.objectRecordId,
       workspaceId,
+      roleId: executionContext.roleId,
       soft: true,
     });
 

packages/twenty-server/src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/record-crud/find-records.workflow-action.ts

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   WorkflowStepExecutorException,
   WorkflowStepExecutorExceptionCode,
 } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/exceptions/workflow-step-executor.exception';
+import { WorkflowExecutionContextService } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/services/workflow-execution-context.service';
 import { type WorkflowActionInput } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-action-input';
 import { type WorkflowActionOutput } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-action-output.type';
 import { findStepOrThrow } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/utils/find-step-or-throw.util';
@@ -25,12 +26,14 @@ export class FindRecordsWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
   constructor(
     private readonly findRecordsService: FindRecordsService,
     private readonly scopedWorkspaceContextFactory: ScopedWorkspaceContextFactory,
+    private readonly workflowExecutionContextService: WorkflowExecutionContextService,
   ) {}
 
   async execute({
     currentStepId,
     steps,
     context,
+    runInfo,
   }: WorkflowActionInput): Promise<WorkflowActionOutput> {
     const step = findStepOrThrow({
       steps,
@@ -58,12 +61,16 @@ export class FindRecordsWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
       );
     }
 
+    const executionContext =
+      await this.workflowExecutionContextService.getExecutionContext(runInfo);
+
     const toolOutput = await this.findRecordsService.execute({
       objectName: workflowActionInput.objectName,
       filter: workflowActionInput.filter?.gqlOperationFilter,
       orderBy: workflowActionInput.orderBy,
       limit: workflowActionInput.limit,
       workspaceId,
+      roleId: executionContext.roleId,
     });
 
     if (!toolOutput.success) {

packages/twenty-server/src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/record-crud/record-crud-action.module.ts

@@ -1,16 +1,26 @@
 import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
 
 import { RecordCrudModule } from 'src/engine/core-modules/record-crud/record-crud.module';
+import { UserWorkspaceModule } from 'src/engine/core-modules/user-workspace/user-workspace.module';
+import { UserRoleModule } from 'src/engine/metadata-modules/user-role/user-role.module';
 import { ScopedWorkspaceContextFactory } from 'src/engine/twenty-orm/factories/scoped-workspace-context.factory';
+import { WorkflowExecutionContextService } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/services/workflow-execution-context.service';
 import { CreateRecordWorkflowAction } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/record-crud/create-record.workflow-action';
 import { DeleteRecordWorkflowAction } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/record-crud/delete-record.workflow-action';
 import { FindRecordsWorkflowAction } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/record-crud/find-records.workflow-action';
 import { UpdateRecordWorkflowAction } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/record-crud/update-record.workflow-action';
+import { WorkflowRunModule } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-runner/workflow-run/workflow-run.module';
 
 @Module({
-  imports: [RecordCrudModule],
+  imports: [
+    RecordCrudModule,
+    WorkflowRunModule,
+    UserWorkspaceModule,
+    UserRoleModule,
+  ],
   providers: [
     ScopedWorkspaceContextFactory,
+    WorkflowExecutionContextService,
     CreateRecordWorkflowAction,
     UpdateRecordWorkflowAction,
     DeleteRecordWorkflowAction,

packages/twenty-server/src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/workflow-actions/record-crud/update-record.workflow-action.ts

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   WorkflowStepExecutorException,
   WorkflowStepExecutorExceptionCode,
 } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/exceptions/workflow-step-executor.exception';
+import { WorkflowExecutionContextService } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/services/workflow-execution-context.service';
 import { type WorkflowActionInput } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-action-input';
 import { type WorkflowActionOutput } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/types/workflow-action-output.type';
 import { findStepOrThrow } from 'src/modules/workflow/workflow-executor/utils/find-step-or-throw.util';
@@ -25,12 +26,14 @@ export class UpdateRecordWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
   constructor(
     private readonly updateRecordService: UpdateRecordService,
     private readonly scopedWorkspaceContextFactory: ScopedWorkspaceContextFactory,
+    private readonly workflowExecutionContextService: WorkflowExecutionContextService,
   ) {}
 
   async execute({
     currentStepId,
     steps,
     context,
+    runInfo,
   }: WorkflowActionInput): Promise<WorkflowActionOutput> {
     const step = findStepOrThrow({
       steps,
@@ -69,12 +72,16 @@ export class UpdateRecordWorkflowAction implements WorkflowAction {
       );
     }
 
+    const executionContext =
+      await this.workflowExecutionContextService.getExecutionContext(runInfo);
+
     const toolOutput = await this.updateRecordService.execute({
       objectName: workflowActionInput.objectName,
       objectRecordId: workflowActionInput.objectRecordId,
       objectRecord: workflowActionInput.objectRecord,
       fieldsToUpdate: workflowActionInput.fieldsToUpdate,
       workspaceId,
+      roleId: executionContext.roleId,
     });
 
     if (!toolOutput.success) {