Reports are taken only as application/json (closes #126)

A page on another origin can POST text/plain or a form without a CORS
preflight, so its visitors' browsers could store reports although the
server sends no CORS headers. decodeJSON now refuses a request whose
Content-Type is not application/json (parameters such as charset
allowed), and the report handler answers it 415 with the usual error
body, storing nothing. A JSON POST waits for the preflight, which only
an origin in CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS passes; the page already sends
application/json.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -149,9 +149,11 @@ same-origin path `/api/v1/reports`: a random per-browser `clientId` kept in
 `localStorage`, `geo` sent as null, and each host's unreported, non-paused
 samples (timestamp, latency, error). A per-host high-water mark makes every
 report a delta, so only new samples are sent; the mark advances only on a
-delivered report, and while paused nothing is sent. Delivery failure is quiet —
+delivered report, and while paused nothing is sent. Changing the interval clears
-one debug-log line per outage, retried at the next interval, never blocking
+each host's history on the page; the samples in it not yet reported still go in
-probing. The report-building step is a pure function of host state.
+the next report. Delivery failure is quiet — one debug-log line per outage,
+retried at the next interval, never blocking probing. The report-building step
+is a pure function of host state.
 
 ### Backend
 
@@ -229,9 +231,15 @@ Files are created with `O_EXCL` to prevent overwrites.
 #### Report limits
 
 `POST /api/v1/reports` takes reports from anyone who can reach it, without
-credentials, so it is bounded instead. Both refusals below answer with the same
+credentials, so it is bounded instead. Each refusal below answers with the same
 `{"status":"error"}` body as any other error.
 
+- **JSON only.** A report must be sent with `Content-Type: application/json`,
+  parameters such as `charset` allowed, as the page sends it; any other is
+  refused with 415, and nothing of it is stored. A page on another origin can
+  send a `text/plain` POST, or a form, without a CORS preflight; refusing them
+  keeps any site from making its visitors' browsers store reports (see
+  [CORS](#cors)).
 - **Rate limit.** Each client address, resolved through `TRUSTED_PROXIES`, may
   send `REPORTS_PER_MINUTE` reports a minute; past that it gets 429 with
   `Retry-After: 60`. The minute slides: reports from the minute before still

TODO.md

@@ -21,6 +21,29 @@ Run `make frontend-viewport-test` in CI as its own step; it is not part of
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-14: `POST /api/v1/reports` takes only a report sent with
+  `Content-Type: application/json`, parameters such as `charset` allowed, and
+  refuses any other with 415 and the usual error body, storing nothing
+  ([#126](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/netwatch/issues/126)). A page on another
+  origin can send a `text/plain` POST without a CORS preflight, so any site
+  could make its visitors' browsers store reports; a JSON POST waits for the
+  preflight, which only an origin in `CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS` passes. The page
+  already sent `application/json`. A test posts a report as `text/plain`, as
+  `application/x-www-form-urlencoded`, as `multipart/form-data`, with no
+  `Content-Type`, and as `application/json` with and without a charset, and
+  checks which are stored
+- 2026-10-14: changing the interval no longer drops the samples not yet reported
+  to the backend ([#124](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/netwatch/issues/124)). The
+  interval menu resets each host with the new `HostState.reset`, which moves the
+  history's entries to `clearedHistory`, keeping the last 100 of all it has
+  cleared, and `buildReport` reads both, so the next report has the samples
+  recorded before the change that no report has delivered. Until its next check,
+  such a host is sent with the status of its last check, not `pending`. The
+  page's history still starts over, and the per-host marks still leave out of a
+  report the samples a delivered one had. Unit tests reset a host as the
+  interval menu does and find its unreported samples in the next report, and
+  only the last 100 after more were cleared; `web/src/main.js` now exports
+  `Reporter` for them
 - 2026-10-14: the repo has the layout `REPO_POLICIES.md` gives
   ([#30](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/netwatch/issues/30)). The Go module is at the
   root (`go.mod`, `go.sum`, `.golangci.yml`, `cmd/netwatch-server/`,

internal/handlers/handlers.go

@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ package handlers
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"log/slog"
+	"mime"
 	"net/http"
 
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/globals"
@@ -18,6 +20,10 @@ import (
 
 const jsonContentType = "application/json; charset=utf-8"
 
+// errNotJSON is what decodeJSON returns for a request whose
+// Content-Type is not application/json.
+var errNotJSON = errors.New("content type is not application/json")
+
 // reportAppender is the subset of the report buffer the handlers
 // depend on. Defining it here keeps the storage failure path
 // exercisable with a stub in tests.
@@ -80,14 +86,25 @@ func (s *Handlers) respondJSON(
 	}
 }
 
-// decodeJSON decodes the request body into v. The body is
+// decodeJSON decodes the request body into v. It returns errNotJSON,
-// expected to already be bounded by the body-size middleware, so
+// reading nothing, unless the request's Content-Type is
-// a caller can distinguish an over-limit body from malformed
+// application/json, with or without parameters such as charset. The
-// JSON by testing the returned error for *http.MaxBytesError.
+// body is expected to already be bounded by the body-size middleware,
+// so a caller can distinguish an over-limit body from malformed JSON
+// by testing the returned error for *http.MaxBytesError.
 func (s *Handlers) decodeJSON(
 	_ http.ResponseWriter,
 	r *http.Request,
 	v any,
 ) error {
+	// A page on another origin can POST text/plain or a form without
+	// a CORS preflight, so its visitors' browsers would send it
+	// whatever the CORS settings. A JSON POST waits for the
+	// preflight, so only JSON is taken.
+	mediaType, _, err := mime.ParseMediaType(r.Header.Get("Content-Type"))
+	if err != nil || mediaType != "application/json" {
+		return errNotJSON
+	}
+
 	return json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(v)
 }

internal/handlers/report.go

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ type report struct {
 }
 
 // HandleReport returns a handler that accepts telemetry
-// reports from NetWatch clients.
+// reports from NetWatch clients, sent as application/json.
 func (s *Handlers) HandleReport() http.HandlerFunc {
 	type response struct {
 		Status string `json:"status"`
@@ -66,9 +66,15 @@ func (s *Handlers) HandleReport() http.HandlerFunc {
 }
 
 // decodeErrorStatus logs a report decode failure and returns the
-// status to send: 413 when the body exceeded the size limit,
+// status to send: 415 when the report was not sent as JSON, 413 when
-// otherwise 400 for malformed JSON.
+// the body exceeded the size limit, otherwise 400 for malformed JSON.
 func (s *Handlers) decodeErrorStatus(err error) int {
+	if errors.Is(err, errNotJSON) {
+		s.log.Warn("report refused: Content-Type is not application/json")
+
+		return http.StatusUnsupportedMediaType
+	}
+
 	var tooLarge *http.MaxBytesError
 	if errors.As(err, &tooLarge) {
 		s.log.Warn("report body too large", "limit_bytes", tooLarge.Limit)

internal/handlers/report_test.go

@@ -27,6 +27,17 @@ type stubAppender struct {
 
 func (s stubAppender) Append(any) error { return s.err }
 
+// recordingAppender keeps every report the handler stores.
+type recordingAppender struct {
+	reports []any
+}
+
+func (a *recordingAppender) Append(v any) error {
+	a.reports = append(a.reports, v)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func newTestHandlers(buf stubAppender, out io.Writer) *handlers.Handlers {
 	return handlers.NewForTest(buf, slog.New(slog.NewJSONHandler(out, nil)))
 }
@@ -83,6 +94,7 @@ func TestHandleReportAcceptsValidReports(t *testing.T) {
 				http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/reports",
 				strings.NewReader(tt.body),
 			)
+			req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
 			h.HandleReport().ServeHTTP(rec, req)
 
@@ -103,6 +115,89 @@ func TestHandleReportAcceptsValidReports(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestHandleReportStoresOnlyJSON checks that a report is stored only
+// when sent as application/json, as the page sends it. One sent as
+// text/plain or as a form, which a page on another origin can send
+// without a CORS preflight, is refused with 415.
+func TestHandleReportStoresOnlyJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		contentType string
+		wantStatus  int
+		wantStored  int
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "text/plain",
+			contentType: "text/plain;charset=UTF-8",
+			wantStatus:  http.StatusUnsupportedMediaType,
+			wantStored:  0,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "a urlencoded form",
+			contentType: "application/x-www-form-urlencoded",
+			wantStatus:  http.StatusUnsupportedMediaType,
+			wantStored:  0,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "a multipart form",
+			contentType: "multipart/form-data; boundary=x",
+			wantStatus:  http.StatusUnsupportedMediaType,
+			wantStored:  0,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "no Content-Type",
+			contentType: "",
+			wantStatus:  http.StatusUnsupportedMediaType,
+			wantStored:  0,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "application/json",
+			contentType: "application/json",
+			wantStatus:  http.StatusOK,
+			wantStored:  1,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "application/json with a charset",
+			contentType: "application/json;charset=UTF-8",
+			wantStatus:  http.StatusOK,
+			wantStored:  1,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			var stored recordingAppender
+
+			h := handlers.NewForTest(&stored, slog.New(slog.DiscardHandler))
+
+			rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+			req := httptest.NewRequestWithContext(t.Context(),
+				http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/reports",
+				strings.NewReader(`{"clientId":"c1","hosts":[]}`),
+			)
+
+			if tt.contentType != "" {
+				req.Header.Set("Content-Type", tt.contentType)
+			}
+
+			h.HandleReport().ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+
+			if rec.Code != tt.wantStatus {
+				t.Errorf("status = %d, want %d", rec.Code, tt.wantStatus)
+			}
+
+			if len(stored.reports) != tt.wantStored {
+				t.Errorf("reports stored = %d, want %d",
+					len(stored.reports), tt.wantStored)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestHandleReportStorageFailureIsNon2xx(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -113,6 +208,7 @@ func TestHandleReportStorageFailureIsNon2xx(t *testing.T) {
 		http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/reports",
 		strings.NewReader(`{"clientId":"c1","hosts":[]}`),
 	)
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
 	h.HandleReport().ServeHTTP(rec, req)
 
@@ -138,6 +234,7 @@ func TestHandleReportFullIs507(t *testing.T) {
 		http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/reports",
 		strings.NewReader(`{"clientId":"c1","hosts":[]}`),
 	)
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
 	h.HandleReport().ServeHTTP(rec, req)
 
@@ -161,6 +258,7 @@ func TestHandleReportMalformedJSONIs400(t *testing.T) {
 		http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/reports",
 		strings.NewReader(`{not json`),
 	)
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
 	h.HandleReport().ServeHTTP(rec, req)
 
@@ -185,6 +283,8 @@ func TestHandleReportOversizeIs413(t *testing.T) {
 		http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/reports",
 		strings.NewReader(`{"clientId":"`+strings.Repeat("x", 200)+`"}`),
 	)
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+
 	// No declared length, so only the middleware's read cap can
 	// stop this body.
 	req.ContentLength = -1
@@ -213,6 +313,7 @@ func TestHandleReportDoesNotLogRawGeo(t *testing.T) {
 			`{"clientId":"c1","geo":{"raw":"`+sentinel+`"},"hosts":[]}`,
 		),
 	)
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
 	h.HandleReport().ServeHTTP(rec, req)
 
@@ -245,6 +346,7 @@ func TestHandleReportLogsClientIDCutToBound(t *testing.T) {
 			`{"clientId":"`+long+`","timestamp":"`+long+`","hosts":[]}`,
 		),
 	)
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
 	h.HandleReport().ServeHTTP(rec, req)
 
@@ -284,6 +386,7 @@ func TestHandleReportDecodeErrorLogIsBounded(t *testing.T) {
 		http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/reports",
 		strings.NewReader(`{"hosts":[{"history":[{"t":`+huge+`}]}]}`),
 	)
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
 	h.HandleReport().ServeHTTP(rec, req)
 

internal/server/routes_test.go

@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ func TestReportsAreRateLimited(t *testing.T) {
 			http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/reports",
 			strings.NewReader(`{"clientId":"c1","hosts":[]}`),
 		)
+		req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 		srv.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
 
 		return rec.Code

test/unit/main.test.js

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
     latencyClass,
     latencyHex,
     measureLatency,
+    Reporter,
     tick,
 } from "../../web/src/main.js";
 
@@ -378,6 +379,98 @@ test("a check that fails in the first round, which is discarded, writes nothing
     assert.deepEqual(consoleLines("info"), []);
 });
 
+// The reports Reporter sent in this test, each as the hosts it sent.
+function reportedHosts() {
+    return fetch.mock.calls.map(
+        (call) => JSON.parse(call.arguments[1].body).hosts,
+    );
+}
+
+// In the next two tests every report is delivered, and only Target has
+// checks to report. target.reset() does to Target what the interval menu
+// does to each target.
+
+// The interval changes after the first report. The second report is sent
+// before Target's first check since then, and the third after it. A fourth
+// would hold no check the first three did not, so it is not sent.
+test("checks recorded before an interval change and not yet reported go in the next report, with the status of the last check, and no check is reported twice", async (t) => {
+    const state = new AppState([
+        { name: "Target", url: "https://target.test" },
+    ]);
+    const target = state.local[0];
+    const reporter = new Reporter(state, "client", CONFIG.reportInterval);
+    t.mock.method(globalThis, "fetch", async () => ({ ok: true }));
+
+    target.pushSample(1000, { latency: 10, error: null });
+    await reporter.flush();
+    target.pushSample(2000, { latency: 20, error: null });
+    target.pushSample(3000, { latency: null, error: "timeout" });
+    target.reset();
+    await reporter.flush();
+    target.pushSample(4000, { latency: 40, error: null });
+    await reporter.flush();
+    await reporter.flush();
+
+    const name = "Target";
+    const url = "https://target.test";
+    assert.deepEqual(reportedHosts(), [
+        [
+            {
+                name,
+                url,
+                status: "online",
+                history: [{ t: 1000, latency: 10, error: null }],
+            },
+        ],
+        [
+            {
+                name,
+                url,
+                status: "error",
+                history: [
+                    { t: 2000, latency: 20, error: null },
+                    { t: 3000, latency: null, error: "timeout" },
+                ],
+            },
+        ],
+        [
+            {
+                name,
+                url,
+                status: "online",
+                history: [{ t: 4000, latency: 40, error: null }],
+            },
+        ],
+    ]);
+    // The page's history starts over.
+    assert.deepEqual(target.history, [
+        { timestamp: 4000, latency: 40, error: null },
+    ]);
+});
+
+// The interval changes twice, after 60 checks each time, before the first
+// report. Of the 120 checks the interval menu cleared, the report has the
+// last 100 (CONFIG.maxHistoryPoints).
+test("of the checks interval changes cleared before they were reported, the next report has the last 100", async (t) => {
+    const state = new AppState([
+        { name: "Target", url: "https://target.test" },
+    ]);
+    const target = state.local[0];
+    const reporter = new Reporter(state, "client", CONFIG.reportInterval);
+    t.mock.method(globalThis, "fetch", async () => ({ ok: true }));
+
+    for (let n = 1; n <= 120; n++) {
+        target.pushSample(n * 1000, { latency: 10, error: null });
+        if (n % 60 === 0) target.reset();
+    }
+    await reporter.flush();
+
+    const sent = reportedHosts()[0][0].history;
+    assert.equal(sent.length, 100);
+    assert.equal(sent[0].t, 21000);
+    assert.equal(sent.at(-1).t, 120000);
+});
+
 // The page shows &lt; &gt; &quot; &amp; and &#39; in a row's markup as
 // < > " & and '.
 test(`a target whose name and URL hold < > " & and ' shows those characters in its row`, () => {

web/src/main.js

@@ -257,6 +257,14 @@ function latencyStats(latencies) {
     };
 }
 
+// The status a check's error gives its host: "error" for a timeout,
+// "offline" for any other error, and "online" for none.
+function statusFromError(error) {
+    if (error === "timeout") return "error";
+    if (error) return "offline";
+    return "online";
+}
+
 export class HostState {
     constructor(host, pinned = false) {
         this.name = host.name;
@@ -265,6 +273,10 @@ export class HostState {
         // error }, or a round skipped while paused, { timestamp,
         // latency: null, paused: true }.
         this.history = [];
+        // The last 100 (CONFIG.maxHistoryPoints) entries the interval menu
+        // has cleared from the history, which the reporter may not have
+        // sent yet.
+        this.clearedHistory = [];
         this.lastLatency = null;
         this.status = "pending"; // 'online' | 'offline' | 'error' | 'pending'
         this.pinned = pinned;
@@ -280,9 +292,7 @@ export class HostState {
         });
         this._trim();
         this.lastLatency = result.latency;
-        if (result.error === "timeout") this.status = "error";
+        this.status = statusFromError(result.error);
-        else if (result.error) this.status = "offline";
-        else this.status = "online";
         this.consecutiveFailures = result.error
             ? this.consecutiveFailures + 1
             : 0;
@@ -293,6 +303,18 @@ export class HostState {
         this._trim();
     }
 
+    // What the interval menu does to each host: the history starts over and
+    // the host waits for its next check. The history's entries move to
+    // clearedHistory, so the reporter still sends those it has not.
+    reset() {
+        this.clearedHistory = [...this.clearedHistory, ...this.history].slice(
+            -CONFIG.maxHistoryPoints,
+        );
+        this.history = [];
+        this.lastLatency = null;
+        this.status = "pending";
+    }
+
     // The min, max, median and average latency of the checks in the history
     // that got an answer.
     historyStats() {
@@ -429,9 +451,12 @@ function getClientId() {
 
 // Build the delta report body the backend decodes, plus the new per-host
 // high-water marks. Pure function of the passed state: `hosts` is an array
-// of { name, url, status, history }, `since` maps a host url to the Unix-ms
+// of { name, url, status, clearedHistory, history }, `since` maps a host url
-// timestamp of the last sample already reported for it, and `now` is a Date.
+// to the Unix-ms timestamp of the last sample already reported for it, and
-// Only non-paused samples newer than the mark are included. Returns null
+// `now` is a Date. Only non-paused samples newer than the mark are included,
+// from clearedHistory as well as history. A host whose status is pending,
+// as the interval menu leaves it until its next check, is sent with the
+// status of its last check, which is the last sample sent. Returns null
 // when no host has an unreported sample.
 export function buildReport(hosts, clientId, now, since) {
     const reportHosts = [];
@@ -440,7 +465,7 @@ export function buildReport(hosts, clientId, now, since) {
         const mark = since.get(host.url) ?? 0;
         const samples = [];
         let high = mark;
-        for (const p of host.history) {
+        for (const p of [...host.clearedHistory, ...host.history]) {
             if (p.paused) continue;
             if (p.timestamp <= mark) continue;
             samples.push({
@@ -454,7 +479,10 @@ export function buildReport(hosts, clientId, now, since) {
         reportHosts.push({
             name: host.name,
             url: host.url,
-            status: host.status,
+            status:
+                host.status === "pending"
+                    ? statusFromError(samples.at(-1).error)
+                    : host.status,
             history: samples,
         });
         marks.set(host.url, high);
@@ -481,7 +509,7 @@ export function buildReport(hosts, clientId, now, since) {
 // Only one report is ever in flight, and it is abandoned after half the
 // interval, so a slow POST can neither overlap the next report (which would
 // carry the same samples) nor stall reporting for good.
-class Reporter {
+export class Reporter {
     constructor(state, clientId, intervalMs) {
         this.state = state;
         this.clientId = clientId;
@@ -1502,9 +1530,7 @@ async function init() {
 
             // Clear all host history and reset state
             for (const host of state.allHosts) {
-                host.history = [];
+                host.reset();
-                host.lastLatency = null;
-                host.status = "pending";
             }
             state.tickCount = 0;