updateRole

Definition

updateRole

Updates a user-defined role. The updateRole command must run on the role's database.

Tip

In mongosh, this command can also be run through the db.updateRole() helper method.

Helper methods are convenient for mongosh users, but they may not return the same level of information as database commands. In cases where the convenience is not needed or the additional return fields are required, use the database command.

An update to a field completely replaces the previous field's values. To grant or remove roles or privileges without replacing all values, use one or more of the following commands:

• grantRolesToRole

• grantPrivilegesToRole

• revokeRolesFromRole

• revokePrivilegesFromRole

Warning

An update to the privileges or roles array completely replaces the previous array's values.

Compatibility

This command is available in deployments hosted in the following environments:

• MongoDB Atlas: The fully managed service for MongoDB deployments in the cloud

• MongoDB Enterprise: The subscription-based, self-managed version of MongoDB

• MongoDB Community: The source-available, free-to-use, and self-managed version of MongoDB

Syntax

To update a role, you must provide the privileges array, roles array, or both.

The command uses the following syntax:

db.runCommand(
   {
     updateRole: "<role>",
     privileges:
         [
           { resource: { <resource> }, actions: [ "<action>", ... ] },
           ...
         ],
     roles:
         [
           { role: "<role>", db: "<database>" } | "<role>",
           ...
         ],
     authenticationRestrictions:
         [
           {
             clientSource: ["<IP>" | "<CIDR range>", ...],
             serverAddress: ["<IP>", ...]
           },
           ...
         ]
     writeConcern: <write concern document>,
     comment: <any>
   }
 )

Command Fields

The command takes the following fields:

"readWrite"

{ role: "<role>", db: "<database>" }

Behavior

A role's privileges apply to the database where the role is created. The role can inherit privileges from other roles in its database. A role created on the admin database can include privileges that apply to all databases or to the cluster and can inherit privileges from roles in other databases.

Required Access

You must have the revokeRole action on all databases in order to update a role.

You must have the grantRole action on the database of each role in the roles array to update the array.

You must have the grantRole action on the database of each privilege in the privileges array to update the array. If a privilege's resource spans databases, you must have grantRole on the admin database. A privilege spans databases if the privilege is any of the following:

• a collection in all databases

• all collections and all database

• the cluster resource

You must have the setAuthenticationRestriction action on the database of the target role to update a role's authenticationRestrictions document.

Example

The following is an example of the updateRole command that updates the myClusterwideAdmin role on the admin database. While the privileges and the roles arrays are both optional, at least one of the two is required:

db.adminCommand(
   {
     updateRole: "myClusterwideAdmin",
     privileges:
         [
           {
             resource: { db: "", collection: "" },
             actions: [ "find" , "update", "insert", "remove" ]
           }
         ],
     roles:
         [
           { role: "dbAdminAnyDatabase", db: "admin" }
         ],
     writeConcern: { w: "majority" }
   }
)

To view a role's privileges, use the rolesInfo command.