goauthentik/authentik

Bug: Runtime values are used as structured log event names or field keys

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#22196 opened on May 10, 2026

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Description

Describe the bug

Bug: Runtime values are used as structured log event names or field keys

Anti-pattern

This report identifies logging calls where dynamic runtime data is used as the log event name or as a structured field key. In structured logging, event names and field keys should be stable schema elements. Runtime-specific data such as IDs, URLs, object names, errors, query labels, or caller-controlled keys should be emitted as field values under stable keys instead of changing the event or key surface.

Impact on observability platforms

When event names or field keys vary with runtime data, observability backends can see unnecessary cardinality growth in log streams, indexes, facets, labels, and dashboards. This makes queries harder to write, splits one logical event across many names or fields, increases storage and indexing cost, and can reduce the usefulness of alerts and aggregations. When opaque identifiers or shifted key/value pairs become field names, the resulting records are also harder for humans to scan and interpret.

Affected entrypoints

Commit: c6b5869b488b07ddd598d1f8066d3d054ae806c0

Found 10 affected entrypoint(s): 7 message-name entrypoint(s), 3 structured-key entrypoint(s).

  • key authentik/sources/kerberos/sync.py:74
  • key authentik/sources/ldap/sync/groups.py:127
  • key authentik/sources/ldap/sync/users.py:88
  • msg authentik/blueprints/v1/importer.py:372
  • msg authentik/events/logs.py:40
  • msg authentik/providers/saml/processors/authn_request_parser.py:71
  • msg authentik/tasks/models.py:143
  • msg authentik/tasks/models.py:146
  • msg authentik/tasks/models.py:149
  • msg authentik/tasks/schedules/scheduler.py:26

How to reproduce

Trigger any affected entrypoint listed below and inspect the emitted structured log record.

Expected behavior

Log event names and structured field keys should remain stable across executions. Runtime-specific data should be emitted as structured field values under fixed, descriptive keys.

Screenshots

No response

Additional context

No response

Deployment Method

Docker

Version

c6b5869b488b07ddd598d1f8066d3d054ae806c0

Relevant log output

Contributor guide

Tech stack
python
Domain
backendobservability
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
PythonStructured loggingCode reading
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
70
Research direction
The bug is clearly described: runtime values are used as log event names or field keys in 10 specific locations (listed in the issue). For each file, modify the code to use static event names and emit runtime data as values under fixed keys. For example, in `authentik/sources/kerberos/sync.py:74`, ensure the log call does not use a variable as a key. Refer to the project's existing logging patterns for guidance. No linked PRs or additional context beyond the issue body.