[Fix] preserve service_account_id in metadata on /key/update

/key/update and /user/update wholesale-replaced the metadata JSON column
whenever a caller passed a `metadata` field, silently dropping
service_account_id. The pre-call check in litellm_pre_call_utils.py then
stopped treating the key as a service account and bypassed
service_account_settings.enforced_params.

Add LiteLLM_Reserved_Metadata_Fields and have prepare_metadata_fields
preserve these keys from the existing row when the caller omits them.
Reject attempts to change an already-set value (400) since rebinding
service_account_id would break spend attribution.

litellm/proxy/_types.py

@@ -4047,6 +4047,11 @@ LiteLLM_ManagementEndpoint_MetadataFields_Premium = [
     "allowed_passthrough_routes",
 ]
 
+# Metadata keys preserved from existing rows when an update omits them.
+LiteLLM_Reserved_Metadata_Fields = [
+    "service_account_id",
+]
+
 
 class ProviderBudgetResponseObject(LiteLLMPydanticObjectBase):
     """

litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/key_management_endpoints.py

@@ -1517,6 +1517,20 @@ def prepare_metadata_fields(
 
     casted_metadata = cast(dict, non_default_values["metadata"])
 
+    # Reserved metadata fields are immutable once set. Preserve the existing value
+    # when omitted, reject attempts to change it.
+    for reserved_field in LiteLLM_Reserved_Metadata_Fields:
+        existing_value = existing_metadata.get(reserved_field)
+        if existing_value is None:
+            continue
+        incoming_value = casted_metadata.get(reserved_field)
+        if incoming_value is not None and incoming_value != existing_value:
+            raise HTTPException(
+                status_code=400,
+                detail=f"{reserved_field} is immutable once set and cannot be changed via update.",
+            )
+        casted_metadata[reserved_field] = existing_value
+
     data_json = data.model_dump(exclude_unset=True, exclude_none=True)
 
     try:

tests/test_litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/test_key_management_endpoints.py

@@ -1206,6 +1206,95 @@ async def test_update_service_account_works_with_team_id():
     await prepare_key_update_data(data=data, existing_key_row=existing_key)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_update_preserves_service_account_id_when_metadata_replaced():
+    """
+    Regression: /key/update wholesale-replaced metadata, silently dropping
+    service_account_id. The pre-call check then treated the key as a regular
+    key and bypassed service_account_settings.enforced_params.
+    """
+    data = UpdateKeyRequest(
+        key="sk-1",
+        metadata={"unrelated": "value"},
+        team_id="IJ",
+    )
+    existing_key = LiteLLM_VerificationToken(
+        token="hashed",
+        team_id="IJ",
+        metadata={"service_account_id": "sa-123"},
+    )
+
+    result = await prepare_key_update_data(
+        data=data, existing_key_row=existing_key
+    )
+
+    assert result["metadata"]["service_account_id"] == "sa-123"
+    assert result["metadata"]["unrelated"] == "value"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_update_rejects_service_account_id_overwrite():
+    """
+    Once assigned, a key's service_account_id is an identity marker — rebinding
+    it via update would break spend attribution. Reject rather than silently
+    ignore so scripted callers surface the bug.
+    """
+    data = UpdateKeyRequest(
+        key="sk-1",
+        metadata={"service_account_id": "sa-new"},
+        team_id="IJ",
+    )
+    existing_key = LiteLLM_VerificationToken(
+        token="hashed",
+        team_id="IJ",
+        metadata={"service_account_id": "sa-old"},
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as exc_info:
+        await prepare_key_update_data(data=data, existing_key_row=existing_key)
+    assert exc_info.value.status_code == 400
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_update_allows_matching_service_account_id():
+    """Resending the same value (e.g. UI round-trip) is a no-op, not a conflict."""
+    data = UpdateKeyRequest(
+        key="sk-1",
+        metadata={"service_account_id": "sa-123", "other": "value"},
+        team_id="IJ",
+    )
+    existing_key = LiteLLM_VerificationToken(
+        token="hashed",
+        team_id="IJ",
+        metadata={"service_account_id": "sa-123"},
+    )
+
+    result = await prepare_key_update_data(
+        data=data, existing_key_row=existing_key
+    )
+
+    assert result["metadata"]["service_account_id"] == "sa-123"
+    assert result["metadata"]["other"] == "value"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_update_without_metadata_still_preserves_existing():
+    """Omitting metadata entirely must not drop existing metadata fields."""
+    data = UpdateKeyRequest(key="sk-1", max_budget=100)
+    existing_key = LiteLLM_VerificationToken(
+        token="hashed",
+        team_id="IJ",
+        metadata={"service_account_id": "sa-123", "other": "kept"},
+    )
+
+    result = await prepare_key_update_data(
+        data=data, existing_key_row=existing_key
+    )
+
+    assert result["metadata"]["service_account_id"] == "sa-123"
+    assert result["metadata"]["other"] == "kept"
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_prepare_key_update_data_duration_never_expires():
     """Test that duration="-1" sets expires to None (never expires)."""
@@ -7961,6 +8050,7 @@ async def test_update_key_non_budget_fields_allowed_for_internal_user(monkeypatc
     mock_existing_key.max_budget = 10.0
     mock_existing_key.key_alias = None
     mock_existing_key.models = []
+    mock_existing_key.metadata = {}
     mock_existing_key.model_dump.return_value = {
         "token": test_hashed_token,
         "user_id": "internal_user",