fix(backend): cut request log fields to the log bound (closes #60)

The request log wrote the URL, User-Agent, Referer and other
request-supplied strings with no length limit, and the server accepts
headers up to 1 MiB, so one request could put about 1 MiB per field
into a log line. Every string the request log takes from the request,
including the request ID chi copies from X-Request-Id, is now cut to
the 128-byte bound the report handler already used. That bound and
its helper moved from the handlers package to the logger package so
both use the one copy.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ container: nginx serves the built frontend and passes `/api/` and
 only inside the container, on `127.0.0.1:8081`. The image:
 
 - Listens on port 8080 by default (override with `PORT` env var)
-- Trusts `X-Forwarded-For` from RFC1918 reverse proxies (10/8, 172.16/12,
+- Takes the client address from `X-Forwarded-For` only on requests from the
-  192.168/16)
+  reverse proxies named in `TRUSTED_PROXIES`, and by default from none
 - Sends access logs to stdout
 - Caches static assets with immutable headers
 - Stores reports in `DATA_DIR`, `/data/reports` by default, on the `/data`
@@ -224,10 +224,16 @@ What the [upaas](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/upaas) app for netwatch needs:
     - `DEBUG`, default `false`: debug logging
     - `DATA_DIR`, default `/data/reports`: leave unset; reports kept outside
       `/data` do not survive a redeploy
-    - `TRUSTED_PROXIES`, default loopback and RFC1918: leave unset. The
+    - `TRUSTED_PROXIES`, default empty: set it to the address the reverse proxy
-      backend's only client is nginx, on loopback, which passes on the client
+      in front of the container connects from, as an IP address or CIDR; several
-      address; nginx takes it from `X-Forwarded-For` only from RFC1918
+      are separated by commas. nginx takes the client address from
-      addresses.
+      `X-Forwarded-For` only on a request from one of them, and the rate limit
+      counts that address. Unset, `X-Forwarded-For` is ignored and every client
+      behind the proxy shares the proxy's one allowance of `REPORTS_PER_MINUTE`.
+      Name only addresses nothing but the proxy connects from: any client that
+      connects from one can write its own `X-Forwarded-For`, and through a port
+      Docker publishes, every client may connect from the Docker network's
+      gateway, such as `172.17.0.1`.
 - **Health check:** the image's `HEALTHCHECK` requests
   `/.well-known/healthcheck` through nginx every 30 seconds, so it fails unless
   both nginx and the backend answer. upaas reads the container's health 60

TODO.md

@@ -23,6 +23,21 @@ latest run passes.
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-09-29: the request log is bounded (issue #60): the method, URL, protocol,
+  `User-Agent`, `Referer`, request ID (which chi takes from the client's
+  `X-Request-Id` header) and client address it writes are each cut to 128 bytes,
+  the bound the report handler already used, so one request can no longer put
+  about 1 MiB per field into a log line. That bound and its helper now live in
+  the `logger` package, shared by both
+- 2026-09-29: nginx takes the client address from `X-Forwarded-For` only on
+  requests from the reverse proxies named in the container's `TRUSTED_PROXIES`
+  (issue #64), and by default from none, where it trusted every RFC1918 address
+  before, so a client could write a new address on each request and escape the
+  rate limit. `bin/entrypoint.sh` writes one `set_real_ip_from` line per entry
+  into `/etc/nginx/trusted-proxies.conf`, which `nginx.conf` includes, refusing
+  an entry that is not an IP address or CIDR, as `netwatch-server check-cidr`
+  finds; it starts the backend with `TRUSTED_PROXIES=127.0.0.1/32`, since nginx
+  is its only client
 - 2026-09-29: report file names can no longer collide (issue #61): each is
   `reports-<timestamp>-<number>.jsonl.zst`, where the number goes up by one for
   each file the server starts to write, so two flushes in the same millisecond,

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
+The loopback entries cover a reverse proxy on the same host. A request whose
-RFC1918 ranges match `nginx.conf`. A request whose direct peer is outside this
+direct peer is outside this set has its forwarded headers ignored, and the
-set has its forwarded headers ignored, and the direct peer is logged instead.
+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,
+only nginx reaches it, and with `TRUSTED_PROXIES=127.0.0.1/32`, so it takes the
-which `netwatch` owns.
+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
+// headers are honoured by default: IPv4 and IPv6 loopback,
-// ranges (to match nginx.conf) plus IPv4 and IPv6 loopback,
+// for a reverse proxy on the same host, and the RFC1918
-// because the reverse proxy shares the container and reaches
+// ranges. The container image does not use it:
-// the backend over loopback.
+// 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/handlers/export_test.go

@@ -2,9 +2,6 @@ package handlers
 
 import "log/slog"
 
-// MaxLoggedFieldBytes exposes the log bound to the external tests.
-const MaxLoggedFieldBytes = maxLoggedFieldBytes
-
 // NewForTest builds a Handlers around a report sink and logger,
 // bypassing the fx graph so handler behaviour (including the
 // storage failure path) is exercisable in unit tests.

backend/internal/handlers/report.go

@@ -5,14 +5,10 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"net/http"
 
+	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/logger"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/reportbuf"
 )
 
-// maxLoggedFieldBytes bounds untrusted text (string fields,
-// decode error text) before it is logged, so a caller cannot
-// inflate log volume with an oversized value.
-const maxLoggedFieldBytes = 128
-
 type reportSample struct {
 	T       int64   `json:"t"`
 	Latency *int    `json:"latency"`
@@ -83,7 +79,7 @@ func (s *Handlers) decodeErrorStatus(err error) int {
 	// The decoder's error text can quote request bytes (a whole
 	// oversized number, for example), so it is bounded too.
 	s.log.Error("failed to decode report",
-		"error", boundedForLog(err.Error()),
+		"error", logger.BoundedForLog(err.Error()),
 	)
 
 	return http.StatusBadRequest
@@ -115,20 +111,10 @@ func (s *Handlers) logReportReceived(rpt report) {
 	}
 
 	s.log.Info("report received",
-		"client_id", boundedForLog(rpt.ClientID),
+		"client_id", logger.BoundedForLog(rpt.ClientID),
-		"timestamp", boundedForLog(rpt.Timestamp),
+		"timestamp", logger.BoundedForLog(rpt.Timestamp),
 		"host_count", len(rpt.Hosts),
 		"total_samples", totalSamples,
 		"geo_bytes", len(rpt.Geo),
 	)
 }
-
-// boundedForLog truncates an untrusted string to a fixed byte
-// bound so an attacker-controlled field cannot dominate the log.
-func boundedForLog(s string) string {
-	if len(s) > maxLoggedFieldBytes {
-		return s[:maxLoggedFieldBytes]
-	}
-
-	return s
-}

backend/internal/handlers/report_test.go

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/handlers"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/logger"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/middleware"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/reportbuf"
 )
@@ -174,7 +175,7 @@ func TestHandleReportDoesNotLogRawGeo(t *testing.T) {
 func TestHandleReportLogsClientIDCutToBound(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	long := strings.Repeat("c", 2*handlers.MaxLoggedFieldBytes)
+	long := strings.Repeat("c", 2*logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes)
 
 	var logbuf bytes.Buffer
 
@@ -197,16 +198,16 @@ func TestHandleReportLogsClientIDCutToBound(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("log line not JSON: %v (%q)", err, logbuf.String())
 	}
 
-	want := long[:handlers.MaxLoggedFieldBytes]
+	want := long[:logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes]
 
 	if logged["client_id"] != want {
 		t.Fatalf("logged client_id not cut to %d bytes: %q",
-			handlers.MaxLoggedFieldBytes, logged["client_id"])
+			logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes, logged["client_id"])
 	}
 
 	if logged["timestamp"] != want {
 		t.Fatalf("logged timestamp not cut to %d bytes: %q",
-			handlers.MaxLoggedFieldBytes, logged["timestamp"])
+			logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes, logged["timestamp"])
 	}
 }
 
@@ -215,7 +216,7 @@ func TestHandleReportDecodeErrorLogIsBounded(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// A number too large for its int64 field makes the decoder's
 	// error text quote the whole number.
-	huge := strings.Repeat("9", 2*handlers.MaxLoggedFieldBytes)
+	huge := strings.Repeat("9", 2*logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes)
 
 	var logbuf bytes.Buffer
 

backend/internal/logger/logger.go

@@ -11,6 +11,21 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/fx"
 )
 
+// MaxLoggedFieldBytes bounds untrusted text (request fields,
+// header values, decode error text) before it is logged, so a
+// caller cannot inflate log volume with an oversized value.
+const MaxLoggedFieldBytes = 128
+
+// BoundedForLog truncates an untrusted string to a fixed byte
+// bound so an attacker-controlled field cannot dominate the log.
+func BoundedForLog(s string) string {
+	if len(s) > MaxLoggedFieldBytes {
+		return s[:MaxLoggedFieldBytes]
+	}
+
+	return s
+}
+
 // Params defines the dependencies for Logger.
 type Params struct {
 	fx.In

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
+// ParseTrustedProxies converts the TRUSTED_PROXIES entries into
-// prefixes, failing fast on any malformed entry.
+// prefixes, failing fast on any malformed entry. Each entry must be
-func parseTrustedProxies(cidrs []string) ([]netip.Prefix, error) {
+// 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 {
@@ -187,7 +189,10 @@ func addrInAny(s string, trusted []netip.Prefix) bool {
 }
 
 // Logging returns middleware that logs each request with
-// timing, status code, and client information.
+// timing, status code, and client information. Every string
+// taken from the request is cut to logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes,
+// including the request ID, which chi takes from the client's
+// X-Request-Id header when one is sent.
 func (s *Middleware) Logging() func(http.Handler) http.Handler {
 	return func(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
 		return http.HandlerFunc(
@@ -200,21 +205,19 @@ func (s *Middleware) Logging() func(http.Handler) http.Handler {
 					latency := time.Since(start)
 					s.log.InfoContext(ctx, "request",
 						"request_start", start,
-						"method", r.Method,
+						"method", logger.BoundedForLog(r.Method),
-						"url", r.URL.String(),
+						"url", logger.BoundedForLog(r.URL.String()),
-						"useragent", r.UserAgent(),
+						"useragent", logger.BoundedForLog(r.UserAgent()),
 						"request_id",
-						ctx.Value(
+						logger.BoundedForLog(middleware.GetReqID(ctx)),
-							middleware.RequestIDKey,
+						"referer", logger.BoundedForLog(r.Referer()),
-						),
+						"proto", logger.BoundedForLog(r.Proto),
-						"referer", r.Referer(),
-						"proto", r.Proto,
 						"remote_ip",
-						clientIP(
+						logger.BoundedForLog(clientIP(
 							r.RemoteAddr,
 							r.Header,
 							s.trustedProxies,
-						),
+						)),
 						"status", lrw.statusCode,
 						"latency_ms",
 						latency.Milliseconds(),

backend/internal/middleware/middleware_test.go

@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@ import (
 	"testing/synctest"
 	"time"
 
+	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/logger"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/middleware"
+
+	chimiddleware "github.com/go-chi/chi/v5/middleware"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -36,13 +39,30 @@ 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"})
+	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.Fatalf("error = %v, want one naming TRUSTED_PROXIES", err)
+			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 {
@@ -303,6 +323,52 @@ func TestRecovererRepanicsOnAbortHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestLoggingCutsRequestStringsToBound sends an over-long URL and
+// over-long header values, and checks the request log writes each
+// one cut to logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes.
+func TestLoggingCutsRequestStringsToBound(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	long := strings.Repeat("a", 2*logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes)
+
+	var logbuf bytes.Buffer
+
+	mw := middleware.NewWithLogger(
+		slog.New(slog.NewJSONHandler(&logbuf, nil)),
+	)
+
+	handler := chimiddleware.RequestID(mw.Logging()(okHandler()))
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequestWithContext(t.Context(),
+		http.MethodGet, "/"+long, http.NoBody)
+	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", long)
+	req.Header.Set("Referer", long)
+	req.Header.Set("X-Request-Id", long)
+
+	handler.ServeHTTP(httptest.NewRecorder(), req)
+
+	var logged map[string]any
+
+	err := json.Unmarshal(logbuf.Bytes(), &logged)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("log line not JSON: %v (%q)", err, logbuf.String())
+	}
+
+	want := map[string]string{
+		"url":        ("/" + long)[:logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes],
+		"useragent":  long[:logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes],
+		"referer":    long[:logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes],
+		"request_id": long[:logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes],
+	}
+
+	for field, value := range want {
+		if logged[field] != value {
+			t.Errorf("logged %s = %q, want it cut to %d bytes",
+				field, logged[field], logger.MaxLoggedFieldBytes)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // okHandler stands in for the route a middleware guards.
 func okHandler() http.Handler {
 	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {

bin/entrypoint.sh

@@ -32,16 +32,47 @@ if [ "$PORT" -eq 8081 ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# TRUSTED_PROXIES names the reverse proxies in front of the container,
+# as IP addresses or CIDRs separated by commas. nginx takes the client
+# address from X-Forwarded-For only on a request from one of them, so
+# unset or empty, it trusts no one. nginx.conf includes the file written
+# here, one set_real_ip_from line per entry.
+#
+# nginx looks up an entry it cannot read as an address as a hostname,
+# and trusts what it finds (1.2.3 is found as 1.2.0.3). So each entry
+# is made a CIDR, a lone address getting /128 if it is IPv6 and /32 if
+# not, and netwatch-server checks it with the parsing it gives its own
+# TRUSTED_PROXIES. Its error, naming the CIDR, is dropped for the one
+# below, naming the entry as written. set -f keeps a * in an entry from
+# becoming a list of file names.
+TRUSTED_PROXIES="${TRUSTED_PROXIES:-}"
+set -f
+for proxy in $(printf '%s' "$TRUSTED_PROXIES" | tr ',' ' '); do
+    case "$proxy" in
+        */*) cidr="$proxy" ;;
+        *:*) cidr="$proxy/128" ;;
+        *) cidr="$proxy/32" ;;
+    esac
+    if ! netwatch-server check-cidr "$cidr" 2> /dev/null; then
+        echo "entrypoint: TRUSTED_PROXIES must be IP addresses or CIDRs" \
+            "separated by commas; '$proxy' is neither" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    echo "set_real_ip_from $cidr;"
+done > /etc/nginx/trusted-proxies.conf
+
 # A stop signal is only noted here; the loop below acts on it.
 stop_requested=""
 trap 'stop_requested=yes' TERM INT
 
 # netwatch-server runs as the netwatch user and listens on loopback
 # only, on a port other than the public one; nginx.conf proxies to this
-# address. The netwatch user has no login shell, hence -s /bin/sh.
+# address. Its only client is nginx, so it takes the client address
-# busybox su replaces itself with the command instead of staying on as
+# nginx passes on from 127.0.0.1 alone, whatever TRUSTED_PROXIES the
-# its parent, so $! is the server's own PID.
+# container has. The netwatch user has no login shell, hence -s
-BIND_ADDRESS=127.0.0.1 PORT=8081 \
+# /bin/sh. busybox su replaces itself with the command instead of
+# staying on as its parent, so $! is the server's own PID.
+BIND_ADDRESS=127.0.0.1 PORT=8081 TRUSTED_PROXIES=127.0.0.1/32 \
     su -s /bin/sh netwatch -c 'exec netwatch-server' &
 backend=$!
 

nginx.conf

@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ server {
     root /usr/share/nginx/html;
     index index.html;
 
-    # Trust RFC1918 reverse proxies for X-Forwarded-For
+    # The client address comes from X-Forwarded-For only on a request
-    set_real_ip_from 10.0.0.0/8;
+    # from the reverse proxies in TRUSTED_PROXIES: bin/entrypoint.sh
-    set_real_ip_from 172.16.0.0/12;
+    # writes one set_real_ip_from line for each into this file, and
-    set_real_ip_from 192.168.0.0/16;
+    # leaves it empty when TRUSTED_PROXIES is unset, so that by default
+    # the client address is the one each request comes from.
+    include /etc/nginx/trusted-proxies.conf;
     real_ip_header X-Forwarded-For;
     real_ip_recursive on;
 

script/frontend-viewport-test

@@ -63,11 +63,14 @@ main() {
 
     # nginx.conf is a template: the image renders it over its own
     # default.conf, with the same port and limit bin/entrypoint.sh uses.
+    # The empty file it includes trusts no proxy, as bin/entrypoint.sh
+    # writes it when TRUSTED_PROXIES is unset.
     docker run -d --rm --name "$SERVER" \
         --network "$NETWORK" --network-alias netwatch \
         -e PORT=8080 -e NGINX_ENVSUBST_FILTER='^PORT$' \
         -v "$ROOT/dist:/usr/share/nginx/html:ro" \
         -v "$ROOT/nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/templates/default.conf.template:ro" \
+        -v /dev/null:/etc/nginx/trusted-proxies.conf:ro \
         "$SERVER_IMAGE" > /dev/null
 
     # The image's own entrypoint already exposes CDP on 9222 and passes