Always send 404 response on requests for non-existent user accounts.

openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_views.py

@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ class TestAccountsAPI(CacheIsolationTestCase, UserAPITestCase):
         """
         client = self.login_client(api_client, user)
         response = client.get(reverse("accounts_api", kwargs={'username': "does_not_exist"}))
-        self.assertEqual(403 if user == "staff_user" else 404, response.status_code)
+        self.assertEqual(404, response.status_code)
 
     # Note: using getattr so that the patching works even if there is no configuration.
     # This is needed when testing CMS as the patching is still executed even though the

openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/views.py

@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ class AccountViewSet(ViewSet):
             account_settings = get_account_settings(
                 request, usernames, view=request.query_params.get('view'))
         except UserNotFound:
-            return Response(status=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN if request.user.is_staff else status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND)
+            return Response(status=status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND)
 
         return Response(account_settings)
 
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ class AccountViewSet(ViewSet):
             account_settings = get_account_settings(
                 request, [username], view=request.query_params.get('view'))
         except UserNotFound:
-            return Response(status=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN if request.user.is_staff else status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND)
+            return Response(status=status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND)
 
         return Response(account_settings[0])