diff --git a/backend/src/__tests__/containers-route-authz.test.ts b/backend/src/__tests__/containers-route-authz.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1dd76e46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/__tests__/containers-route-authz.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+/**
+ * Authorization tests for the container/ports read routes. These reads
+ * (`GET /api/containers`, `GET /api/containers/:id/logs`, `GET /api/ports/in-use`)
+ * are gated by `requirePermission('stack:read')`, the same read model used across
+ * the stacks router. Every shipped role carries `stack:read`, so the denial path
+ * is exercised by temporarily removing it from a role at runtime.
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
+import request from 'supertest';
+import jwt from 'jsonwebtoken';
+import bcrypt from 'bcrypt';
+import { setupTestDb, cleanupTestDb, TEST_JWT_SECRET } from './helpers/setupTestDb';
+
+let tmpDir: string;
+let app: import('express').Express;
+let DatabaseService: typeof import('../services/DatabaseService').DatabaseService;
+let DockerController: typeof import('../services/DockerController').default;
+let FileSystemService: typeof import('../services/FileSystemService').FileSystemService;
+let ROLE_PERMISSIONS: typeof import('../middleware/permissions').ROLE_PERMISSIONS;
+
+const VIEWER = 'container-read-viewer';
+const READ_PATHS = ['/api/containers', '/api/containers/abc123/logs', '/api/ports/in-use'];
+
+/** Sign a viewer JWT using the live token_version so authMiddleware accepts it. */
+function viewerToken(): string {
+  const user = DatabaseService.getInstance().getUserByUsername(VIEWER)!;
+  return jwt.sign({ username: VIEWER, role: 'viewer', tv: user.token_version }, TEST_JWT_SECRET, { expiresIn: '1m' });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Replace the DockerController / FileSystemService singletons with stubs so the
+ * handlers run without a Docker daemon. The logs stub ends the response itself
+ * (the real streamContainerLogs flushes SSE headers and streams), so a request
+ * that clears the guard resolves instead of hanging. Returns the spies so a test
+ * can assert whether a handler ever reached the Docker/FS layer.
+ */
+function stubDockerAndFs(): { docker: ReturnType<typeof vi.spyOn>; fs: ReturnType<typeof vi.spyOn> } {
+  const docker = vi.spyOn(DockerController, 'getInstance').mockReturnValue({
+    getRunningContainers: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([]),
+    streamContainerLogs: vi.fn().mockImplementation((_id: string, _req: unknown, res: import('express').Response) => {
+      res.status(200).end();
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    }),
+    getPortsInUse: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([]),
+  } as unknown as ReturnType<typeof DockerController.getInstance>);
+  const fs = vi.spyOn(FileSystemService, 'getInstance').mockReturnValue({
+    getStacks: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([]),
+  } as unknown as ReturnType<typeof FileSystemService.getInstance>);
+  return { docker, fs };
+}
+
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  tmpDir = await setupTestDb();
+  ({ DatabaseService } = await import('../services/DatabaseService'));
+  ({ default: DockerController } = await import('../services/DockerController'));
+  ({ FileSystemService } = await import('../services/FileSystemService'));
+  ({ ROLE_PERMISSIONS } = await import('../middleware/permissions'));
+  ({ app } = await import('../index'));
+
+  const hash = await bcrypt.hash('password123', 1);
+  DatabaseService.getInstance().addUser({ username: VIEWER, password_hash: hash, role: 'viewer' });
+});
+
+afterAll(() => {
+  cleanupTestDb(tmpDir);
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.restoreAllMocks();
+});
+
+describe('container/ports reads deny a role without stack:read', () => {
+  let originalViewerPerms: typeof ROLE_PERMISSIONS.viewer;
+  let docker: ReturnType<typeof vi.spyOn>;
+  let fs: ReturnType<typeof vi.spyOn>;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    originalViewerPerms = ROLE_PERMISSIONS.viewer;
+    ROLE_PERMISSIONS.viewer = originalViewerPerms.filter((p) => p !== 'stack:read');
+    ({ docker, fs } = stubDockerAndFs());
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    ROLE_PERMISSIONS.viewer = originalViewerPerms;
+  });
+
+  it.each(READ_PATHS)('GET %s is rejected before any Docker work', async (path) => {
+    const res = await request(app).get(path).set('Authorization', `Bearer ${viewerToken()}`);
+    expect(res.status).toBe(403);
+    expect(res.body.code).toBe('PERMISSION_DENIED');
+    // The guard short-circuits before the handler instantiates the controller. For the
+    // logs route this proves the 403 is sent before streamContainerLogs flushes SSE
+    // headers (DockerController.ts), since getInstance precedes that flush.
+    expect(docker).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(fs).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('container/ports reads admit a role with stack:read', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    stubDockerAndFs();
+  });
+
+  it.each(READ_PATHS)('GET %s is admitted', async (path) => {
+    const res = await request(app).get(path).set('Authorization', `Bearer ${viewerToken()}`);
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('container/ports reads reject unauthenticated requests', () => {
+  it.each(READ_PATHS)('GET %s without a token is 401', async (path) => {
+    const res = await request(app).get(path);
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/containers.ts b/backend/src/routes/containers.ts
index 887eb1aa..dea81cb9 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/containers.ts
+++ b/backend/src/routes/containers.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@ import { Router, type Request, type Response } from 'express';
 import DockerController from '../services/DockerController';
 import { FileSystemService } from '../services/FileSystemService';
 import { requireAdmin } from '../middleware/tierGates';
+import { requirePermission } from '../middleware/permissions';
 import { invalidateNodeCaches } from '../helpers/cacheInvalidation';
 
 export const containersRouter = Router();
 
 containersRouter.get('/', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
+  if (!requirePermission(req, res, 'stack:read')) return;
   try {
     const dockerController = DockerController.getInstance(req.nodeId);
     const containers = await dockerController.getRunningContainers();
@@ -17,6 +19,7 @@ containersRouter.get('/', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
 });
 
 containersRouter.get('/:id/logs', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
+  if (!requirePermission(req, res, 'stack:read')) return;
   try {
     const id = req.params.id as string;
     const dockerController = DockerController.getInstance(req.nodeId);
@@ -68,6 +71,7 @@ containersRouter.post('/:id/restart', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
 export const portsRouter = Router();
 
 portsRouter.get('/in-use', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
+  if (!requirePermission(req, res, 'stack:read')) return;
   try {
     const fsService = FileSystemService.getInstance(req.nodeId);
     const stacks = await fsService.getStacks();