Users Without 'Create and Customize Reports' Permission Have 'Edit' Option on Salesforce Reports

This is functioning as designed in Salesforce Reports. Users can update the columns and filters in a Salesforce report but cannot save these changes. Users without the necessary permissions can access the report's edit UI and make modifications, such as adjusting columns, filters, grouping, or the overall structure — and even removing locked filters. This allows them to run the report with modified parameters and view the updated data based on their changes. However, they cannot save these changes permanently. The modifications are not visible to other users, and once the user leaves the page or refreshes it, the changes revert.

Example

A Sales Representative with the Read Only profile opens a pipeline report. They change the date filter from "This Quarter" to "Last Quarter" and run the report to view historical data. The results display as expected. However, when the user navigates away and returns to the report, the date filter has reverted to "This Quarter" — because the user does not have the "Create and Customize Reports" permission required to save changes.