SpiceDB 1.40.0

SpiceDB 1.40.0

Investigated 2026-08-01 against authzed/spicedb:v1.40.0. Assembly deploys one in-cluster instance backed by the shared CloudNativePG PostgreSQL service. It exposes gRPC 50051, HTTP 8443, dispatch 50053, and metrics 9090 only inside the cluster.

Native path

• Model application-resource authorization in SpiceDB schema and relationships. For AgentSquad MCP access, call CheckPermission for the stable profile subject, resource type mcp_server, and permission use.
• Carry a ZedToken when read-after-write ordering matters; choose the weakest consistency that satisfies the request.
• Treat schema changes like database migrations. Apply them through the pinned Backend job; never mutate schema during application startup.
• Use the native PostgreSQL datastore and Prometheus endpoint. Keep identity in Dex or Keycloak and reference only stable subject keys in SpiceDB.

Traps

• The gRPC preshared key authenticates a client to SpiceDB; it does not authorize the end-user or agent. Never convert a missing or failed permission check into admin access.
• Relationship lookup is not a substitute for a point authorization decision. Use CheckPermission or a bulk check on the request path.
• PostgreSQL truncation can leave SpiceDB unavailable until datastore repair. Backup and restore the database as one authority; do not reconstruct it from app tables.
• A version tag prevents latest drift but is not an immutable OCI identity. Promotion must record the resolved digest before changing the deployed matrix.

Authoritative references: SpiceDB v1.40.0, querying data, consistency, and server flags.