express: Skip express-session middleware if pre-authorized

src/node/hooks/express.js

@@ -202,15 +202,19 @@ exports.restartServer = async () => {
     },
   });
 
-  // If webaccess.preAuthorize explicitly grants access, webaccess.checkAccess will skip all checks.
   app.use(webaccess.preAuthorize);
   // Give plugins an opportunity to install handlers/middleware after the preAuthorize middleware
   // but before the express-session middleware. This allows plugins to avoid creating an
   // express-session record in the database when it is not needed (e.g., public static content).
   await hooks.aCallAll('expressPreSession', {app});
-  app.use(exports.sessionMiddleware);
+  app.use([
-  app.use(cookieParser(settings.sessionKey, {}));
+    // If webaccess.preAuthorize explicitly granted access, webaccess.nextRouteIfPreAuthorized will
-  app.use(webaccess.checkAccess);
+    // call `next('route')` which will skip the remaining middlewares in this list.
+    webaccess.nextRouteIfPreAuthorized,
+    exports.sessionMiddleware,
+    cookieParser(settings.sessionKey, {}),
+    webaccess.checkAccess,
+  ]);
 
   await Promise.all([
     hooks.aCallAll('expressConfigure', {app}),

src/node/hooks/express/webaccess.js

@@ -200,12 +200,22 @@ const checkAccess = async (req, res, next) => {
  * Express middleware that allows plugins to explicitly grant/deny access via the `preAuthorize`
  * hook before `checkAccess` is run. If access is explicitly granted:
  *   - `next('route')` will be called, which can be used to bypass later checks
+ *   - `nextRouteIfPreAuthorized` will simply call `next('route')`
  *   - `checkAccess` will simply call `next('route')`
  */
 exports.preAuthorize = (req, res, next) => {
   preAuthorize(req, res, next).catch((err) => next(err || new Error(err)));
 };
 
+/**
+ * Express middleware that simply calls `next('route')` if the request has been explicitly granted
+ * access by `preAuthorize` (otherwise it calls `next()`). This can be used to bypass later checks.
+ */
+exports.nextRouteIfPreAuthorized = (req, res, next) => {
+  if (res.locals._webaccess.skip) return next('route');
+  next();
+};
+
 /**
  * Express middleware to authenticate the user and check authorization. Must be installed after the
  * express-session middleware. If the request is pre-authorized, this middleware simply calls