nginx: trust X-Forwarded-For only from TRUSTED_PROXIES (closes #64)

nginx trusted X-Forwarded-For from every RFC1918 address, so a client
reaching it from one could write a new address on each request and
get a fresh rate-limit allowance. The container's TRUSTED_PROXIES now
names the reverse proxies nginx trusts, none by default.
bin/entrypoint.sh makes each entry a CIDR, checks it with the new
"netwatch-server check-cidr", which runs the server's own
TRUSTED_PROXIES parsing, and writes one set_real_ip_from line per
entry into /etc/nginx/trusted-proxies.conf, which nginx.conf includes.
The backend is started with TRUSTED_PROXIES=127.0.0.1/32, since nginx
is its only client. The viewport test mounts an empty file there.

Model: opus-5-5

backend/README.md

@@ -87,9 +87,10 @@ Internal packages in `internal/` follow standard Go project layout:
 | `CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS` | empty                | Comma-separated origins whose pages may call the API; see [CORS](#cors)                                  |
 
 `TRUSTED_PROXIES` defaults to `127.0.0.1/32,::1/128,10.0.0.0/8,172.16.0.0/12,192.168.0.0/16`.
-The loopback entries cover the reverse proxy that shares the container; the
-RFC1918 ranges match `nginx.conf`. A request whose direct peer is outside this
-set has its forwarded headers ignored, and the direct peer is logged instead.
+The loopback entries cover a reverse proxy on the same host. A request whose
+direct peer is outside this set has its forwarded headers ignored, and the
+direct peer is logged and rate-limited instead. The container image does not use
+this default; see [Container image](#container-image).
 
 A variable set to a value the server cannot use, such as `PORT=abc`,
 `DEBUG=maybe` or a `BIND_ADDRESS` that is not an IP address, stops it from
@@ -101,8 +102,19 @@ The root `Dockerfile` builds one image in which nginx listens on the public port
 8080, serves the frontend, and proxies `/api/` and `/.well-known/healthcheck` to
 this server. The image's entrypoint, `bin/entrypoint.sh`, starts the server as
 user `netwatch` (uid 1000) with `BIND_ADDRESS=127.0.0.1` and `PORT=8081`, so
-only nginx reaches it. `DATA_DIR` is `/data/reports`, on the `/data` volume,
-which `netwatch` owns.
+only nginx reaches it, and with `TRUSTED_PROXIES=127.0.0.1/32`, so it takes the
+client address nginx passes on and no other. `DATA_DIR` is `/data/reports`, on
+the `/data` volume, which `netwatch` owns.
+
+The container's own `TRUSTED_PROXIES` goes to nginx instead: IP addresses or
+CIDRs, separated by commas, of the reverse proxies in front of the container.
+nginx takes the client address from `X-Forwarded-For` only on a request from one
+of them. Unset or empty, nginx trusts no proxy, and the client address is the
+one each request comes from, so every client behind a proxy shares one rate
+limit. An entry that is not an IP address or CIDR, such as a hostname or
+`1.2.3`, stops the container at start with an error naming `TRUSTED_PROXIES`:
+the entrypoint checks each entry with `netwatch-server check-cidr`, which parses
+it as this server parses its own `TRUSTED_PROXIES`.
 
 ### Report storage
 

backend/cmd/netwatch-server/main.go

@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/config"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/globals"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/handlers"
@@ -22,6 +25,19 @@ var (
 )
 
 func main() {
+	// "netwatch-server check-cidr CIDR" exits 1, with the error, if
+	// this server would refuse CIDR in its TRUSTED_PROXIES.
+	// bin/entrypoint.sh runs it on each entry it gives nginx.
+	if len(os.Args) == 3 && os.Args[1] == "check-cidr" {
+		_, err := middleware.ParseTrustedProxies(os.Args[2:])
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+
+		return
+	}
+
 	globals.Appname = Appname
 	globals.Version = Version
 	globals.Buildarch = Buildarch

backend/internal/config/config.go

@@ -21,10 +21,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 // defaultTrustedProxies lists the networks whose forwarded
-// headers are honoured by default. It covers the RFC1918
-// ranges (to match nginx.conf) plus IPv4 and IPv6 loopback,
-// because the reverse proxy shares the container and reaches
-// the backend over loopback.
+// headers are honoured by default: IPv4 and IPv6 loopback,
+// for a reverse proxy on the same host, and the RFC1918
+// ranges. The container image does not use it:
+// bin/entrypoint.sh gives the server 127.0.0.1/32, since
+// nginx is its only client there.
 const defaultTrustedProxies = "127.0.0.1/32,::1/128," +
 	"10.0.0.0/8,172.16.0.0/12,192.168.0.0/16"
 

backend/internal/middleware/export_test.go

@@ -29,7 +29,3 @@ func ClientIP(
 ) string {
 	return clientIP(remoteAddr, header, trusted)
 }
-
-func ParseTrustedProxies(cidrs []string) ([]netip.Prefix, error) {
-	return parseTrustedProxies(cidrs)
-}

backend/internal/middleware/middleware.go

@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func New(
 	_ fx.Lifecycle,
 	params Params,
 ) (*Middleware, error) {
-	trusted, err := parseTrustedProxies(params.Config.TrustedProxies)
+	trusted, err := ParseTrustedProxies(params.Config.TrustedProxies)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -77,9 +77,11 @@ func New(
 	return s, nil
 }
 
-// parseTrustedProxies converts the TRUSTED_PROXIES entries into
-// prefixes, failing fast on any malformed entry.
-func parseTrustedProxies(cidrs []string) ([]netip.Prefix, error) {
+// ParseTrustedProxies converts the TRUSTED_PROXIES entries into
+// prefixes, failing fast on any malformed entry. Each entry must be
+// a CIDR; a lone address is refused. "netwatch-server check-cidr"
+// runs it too.
+func ParseTrustedProxies(cidrs []string) ([]netip.Prefix, error) {
 	prefixes := make([]netip.Prefix, 0, len(cidrs))
 
 	for _, cidr := range cidrs {

backend/internal/middleware/middleware_test.go

@@ -36,15 +36,32 @@ func mustPrefixes(t *testing.T, cidrs ...string) []netip.Prefix {
 	return prefixes
 }
 
+// TestParseTrustedProxiesRejectsMalformed includes entries nginx would
+// read as another address or look up as a hostname, in the CIDR form
+// bin/entrypoint.sh gives "netwatch-server check-cidr".
 func TestParseTrustedProxiesRejectsMalformed(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	_, err := middleware.ParseTrustedProxies([]string{"not-a-cidr"})
-	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "TRUSTED_PROXIES") {
-		t.Fatalf("error = %v, want one naming TRUSTED_PROXIES", err)
+	for _, cidr := range []string{
+		"not-a-cidr", "10.0.0.1", "1.2.3/32", "172.30/32", "10/32",
+		"cafe/32", "999.1.1.1/32", "10.0.0.0/33", "::1/129",
+		"fe80::1%eth0/128",
+	} {
+		_, err := middleware.ParseTrustedProxies([]string{cidr})
+		if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "TRUSTED_PROXIES") {
+			t.Errorf("%q: error = %v, want one naming TRUSTED_PROXIES",
+				cidr, err)
+		}
 	}
 }
 
+func TestParseTrustedProxiesAcceptsCIDRs(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	mustPrefixes(t, "172.17.0.1/32", "10.0.0.0/8", "2001:db8::1/128",
+		"2001:db8::/32", "::ffff:192.0.2.1/128")
+}
+
 type clientIPCase struct {
 	name       string
 	remoteAddr string