Possible to export underlying data even when disabled

[mburk]

Hello everyone,

The author of a report published on a Power BI Report Server has deactivated the export of the underlying data. This is correctly marked in the report. However, I can select this option and even export to Excel. We tested it with both Publisher and Browser role for the accessing user.

Why is this possible?

Power BI Report Server: 

Version1.18.8683.7488(September 2023)

Power BI Desktop:
Version: 2.117.984.0 32-bit (Mai 2023)

Thanks!

[johnbasha33 · Accepted solution]

@mburk 

It seems like you've encountered a discrepancy between the settings in the Power BI report and the actual permissions granted to users. The fact that users can still export data despite the export being deactivated in the report might indicate a few possible issues:

1. **Permissions:** Ensure that the permissions set for the report in the Power BI Report Server are accurately reflecting the restrictions you want to impose. Check if there are any inherited permissions or role assignments that might be overriding the restrictions set within the report.

2. **Role-based Access Control (RBAC):** Double-check the roles assigned to the accessing user. Even if the Publisher or Browser role is generally restricted from exporting data, there might be specific permissions or overrides set at a higher level, such as in the server settings or in the workspace settings, that grant export privileges.

3. **Bug or Version Compatibility:** There could be a bug or compatibility issue between the version of Power BI Desktop used to create the report and the version of Power BI Report Server where it's published. Sometimes, updates or changes in versions can introduce unexpected behavior or bugs.

4. **Cache Issue:** Occasionally, changes made to reports or permissions might not immediately reflect due to caching. Try clearing the cache or refreshing the report to see if the changes take effect.

5. **Configuration Error:** Review the configuration settings for the report server to ensure there are no misconfigurations or conflicting settings that could be causing this issue.

If none of these seem to be the cause, it might be worthwhile to reach out to Microsoft support or consult the Power BI community forums for further assistance. They might be able to provide more insight into the specific issue you're encountering and offer guidance on how to resolve it.

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[MattTurnerN]

@mburk Did you ever get this resolved? I've just encounted the same thing.

[mburk]

@MattTurnerN unfortunately not. We therefore disabled the possibility to export underlying data globally:

Have you resolved it in the meantime?