docs: use the image name make docker builds in the Docker run example

make docker tags the image pixa:latest via script/projectname, so the
Getting Started run line must reference pixa:latest, not pixad:latest.

Model: opus-4-8

Dockerfile

@@ -67,8 +67,9 @@ RUN adduser -D -H -s /sbin/nologin pixad && \
     mkdir -p /var/lib/pixa /etc/pixa && \
     chown pixad:pixad /var/lib/pixa
 
-# Copy default config (edit signing_key before use)
-COPY config.example.yml /etc/pixa/config.yml
+# Copy the image config; signing_key comes from PIXA_SIGNING_KEY.
+# Mount a file over /etc/pixa/config.yml to override anything else.
+COPY config.docker.yml /etc/pixa/config.yml
 
 USER pixad
 WORKDIR /var/lib/pixa

README.md

@@ -15,14 +15,25 @@ git clone https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/pixa.git
 cd pixa
 make build
 
-# run with a config file
-./bin/pixad --config config.example.yml
+# run with a config file: copy the example and set a real signing key
+# (the example placeholder is refused at startup), e.g. with
+# openssl rand -base64 32
+cp config.example.yml config.yml
+$EDITOR config.yml   # replace the signing_key placeholder
+./bin/pixad --config config.yml
 
 # or build and run via Docker
 make docker
-docker run -p 8080:8080 pixad:latest
+docker run -p 8080:8080 -e PIXA_SIGNING_KEY="$(openssl rand -base64 32)" pixa:latest
 ```
 
+A container is configured two ways. The signing key comes from the
+`PIXA_SIGNING_KEY` environment variable, which the baked-in config
+reads; if it is unset the container exits at startup naming the
+variable. Everything else uses built-in defaults, so to change any
+other setting mount your own file over `/etc/pixa/config.yml` (see
+`config.example.yml` for the full set of keys).
+
 ## Rationale
 
 Image-heavy web applications need a fast, caching reverse proxy that

TODO.md

@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ P1: implement blocked networks configuration to extend SSRF protection
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-09-21 http.Server hardening (closes #92): added
+  `HTTPReadHeaderTimeout` (10s, bounds the slowloris header dribble) and
+  `HTTPIdleTimeout` (120s, bounds keep-alive reuse) alongside the
+  existing timeouts and wired them onto the server; added a `LimitBody`
+  middleware capping the two form POST bodies (`POST /`, `POST /generate`)
+  at `MaxFormBytes` (1 MiB) and returning 413, applied ahead of the CSRF
+  middleware so an oversized body is refused as 413 rather than being read
+  as a missing CSRF token (403); left `WriteTimeout` at 60s unchanged
 - 2026-08-07 update golangci-lint to v2.12.2 with the canonical
   `.golangci.yml` (v2 schema, `default: all` minus six disabled
   linters, `lll` 88, tests included): bumped the pinned

config.docker.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Pixa configuration baked into the Docker image.
+#
+# The signing key is read from the PIXA_SIGNING_KEY environment
+# variable; startup aborts naming it when it is unset. Every other key
+# is omitted so its default applies. Operators who need more (an
+# allowlist, metrics, and so on) mount their own file over
+# /etc/pixa/config.yml.
+
+signing_key: "${ENV:PIXA_SIGNING_KEY}"
+state_dir: /var/lib/pixa
+port: 8080

internal/config/config.go

@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ const (
 	keyCacheMaxBytes              = "cache_max_bytes"
 )
 
+// placeholderSigningKey is the dummy signing_key shipped in
+// config.example.yml. It is 45 characters, so it passes the length
+// check, but it is public in this repository and must be rejected at
+// startup so no deployment ever signs URLs with it.
+const placeholderSigningKey = "CHANGE_ME_generate_with_openssl_rand_base64_32"
+
 // Static validation errors. Each use site attaches the offending key
 // and value by wrapping these with fmt.Errorf and %w.
 var (
@@ -61,6 +67,9 @@ var (
 	errPortOutOfRange    = errors.New("outside the valid port range")
 	errTooFewConnections = errors.New("must be at least 1")
 	errValueTooShort     = errors.New("value too short")
+	errPlaceholderKey    = errors.New(
+		"is the placeholder from config.example.yml; " +
+			"generate a real key with: openssl rand -base64 32")
 	errMustBeSetTogether = errors.New("must be set together")
 	errMustNotBeNegative = errors.New("must not be negative")
 	errOverflowsInt64    = errors.New("overflows a 64-bit integer")
@@ -341,10 +350,10 @@ func (c *Config) ensureStateDirWritable() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// validate checks that all required configuration values are set and
-// that every value is within its valid range.
-func (c *Config) validate() error {
-	// The signing key value is never echoed in error messages.
+// validateSigningKey checks that the signing key is present, long
+// enough, and not the public placeholder from config.example.yml. The
+// key value itself is never echoed in error messages.
+func (c *Config) validateSigningKey() error {
 	if c.SigningKey == "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("config key %q: %w", keySigningKey, errValueRequired)
 	}
@@ -356,6 +365,21 @@ func (c *Config) validate() error {
 			keySigningKey, errValueTooShort, minKeyLength, len(c.SigningKey))
 	}
 
+	if c.SigningKey == placeholderSigningKey {
+		return fmt.Errorf("config key %q: %w", keySigningKey, errPlaceholderKey)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// validate checks that all required configuration values are set and
+// that every value is within its valid range.
+func (c *Config) validate() error {
+	err := c.validateSigningKey()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	const maxPort = 65535
 	if c.Port < 1 || c.Port > maxPort {
 		return fmt.Errorf("config key %q: value %d is %w 1-%d",

internal/config/config_validation_internal_test.go

@@ -303,6 +303,11 @@ func invalidHostAndCredentialCases() []abortCase {
 			yaml:              "signing_key: short\n",
 			wantErrSubstrings: []string{keySigningKey},
 		},
+		{
+			name:              "signing_key is the documented placeholder",
+			yaml:              "signing_key: " + placeholderSigningKey + "\n",
+			wantErrSubstrings: []string{keySigningKey},
+		},
 		{
 			name:              "signing_key missing",
 			yaml:              "port: 8080\n",

internal/handlers/bodylimit.go

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package handlers
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+)
+
+// MaxFormBytes bounds the request body accepted on the HTML form POST
+// routes (POST / and POST /generate). The forms carry a handful of short
+// fields, so 1 MiB is generous while making the bound explicit rather than
+// resting on ParseForm's incidental 10 MB cap.
+const MaxFormBytes = 1 << 20 // 1 MiB
+
+// LimitBody returns middleware that caps the request body on POST requests
+// at maxBytes and rejects an oversized body with 413 Request Entity Too
+// Large.
+//
+// It parses the form here, before the CSRF middleware reads the token from
+// it. The CSRF middleware reads the token with PostFormValue, which
+// swallows a parse error, so if the body were only capped there an
+// oversized body would read as a missing token and be refused as 403. By
+// parsing under the cap first, an oversized body is refused as 413. A
+// successful parse is cached on the request, so the CSRF check and the
+// handler reuse it rather than reading the body again.
+func (s *Handlers) LimitBody(maxBytes int64) func(http.Handler) http.Handler {
+	return func(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
+		return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+			if r.Method == http.MethodPost {
+				r.Body = http.MaxBytesReader(w, r.Body, maxBytes)
+
+				err := r.ParseForm()
+
+				var tooLarge *http.MaxBytesError
+				if errors.As(err, &tooLarge) {
+					http.Error(w, "Request body too large",
+						http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge)
+
+					return
+				}
+			}
+
+			next.ServeHTTP(w, r)
+		})
+	}
+}

internal/handlers/bodylimit_internal_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+package handlers
+
+import (
+	"log/slog"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/config"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/encurl"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/session"
+)
+
+// Form field names and a throwaway source image URL for the body-limit
+// tests.
+const (
+	sourceURLField = "url"
+	testSourceURL  = "https://example.com/a.jpg"
+)
+
+// newBodyLimitTestRouter mirrors the production wiring for the form POST
+// routes (see server.SetupRoutes): LimitBody sits in front of the CSRF
+// middleware, which sits in front of the handlers. maxBytes is the body
+// cap under test, so a test can trip the limit with a small body.
+func newBodyLimitTestRouter(
+	t *testing.T, maxBytes int64,
+) (*Handlers, http.Handler) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	cfg := &config.Config{SigningKey: testSigningKey, Debug: true}
+
+	sessMgr, err := session.NewManager(testSigningKey)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("session.NewManager() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	encGen, err := encurl.NewGenerator(testSigningKey)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("encurl.NewGenerator() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	protect, err := newCSRFProtect(testSigningKey, cfg.Debug)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("newCSRFProtect() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	h := &Handlers{
+		log:         slog.New(slog.DiscardHandler),
+		config:      cfg,
+		sessMgr:     sessMgr,
+		encGen:      encGen,
+		csrfProtect: protect,
+	}
+
+	r := chi.NewRouter()
+	r.Group(func(r chi.Router) {
+		r.Use(h.LimitBody(maxBytes))
+		r.Use(h.CSRF())
+		r.Get("/", h.HandleRoot())
+		r.Post("/", h.HandleRoot())
+		r.Post("/generate", h.HandleGenerateURL())
+	})
+
+	return h, r
+}
+
+// TestOversizedLoginPostRejectedBeforeCSRF is the core regression: an
+// oversized POST / carrying an otherwise valid CSRF cookie and token must
+// be rejected with 413. If the body limit ran after CSRF, the truncated
+// body would read as a missing token and return 403; if it ran after the
+// handler, a valid token would return 303. Getting 413 proves the limit
+// fires before CSRF parses the form.
+func TestOversizedLoginPostRejectedBeforeCSRF(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	_, srv := newBodyLimitTestRouter(t, 16)
+
+	cookies, token := csrfCredentials(t, srv, nil)
+
+	rec := postForm(srv, "/", cookies, url.Values{
+		loginKeyField:  {testSigningKey},
+		csrfTokenField: {token},
+	})
+
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge {
+		t.Errorf("oversized POST / status = %d, want %d",
+			rec.Code, http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestOversizedGeneratePostRejectedBeforeCSRF is the same regression for
+// POST /generate, which also parses a form behind CSRF.
+func TestOversizedGeneratePostRejectedBeforeCSRF(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	h, srv := newBodyLimitTestRouter(t, 16)
+
+	sessionCookie := newSessionCookie(t, h)
+
+	cookies, token := csrfCredentials(t, srv, []*http.Cookie{sessionCookie})
+	cookies = append(cookies, sessionCookie)
+
+	rec := postForm(srv, "/generate", cookies, url.Values{
+		sourceURLField: {testSourceURL},
+		csrfTokenField: {token},
+	})
+
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge {
+		t.Errorf("oversized POST /generate status = %d, want %d",
+			rec.Code, http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestWithinLimitLoginPostSucceeds verifies the limit does not disturb a
+// normal request: under the production cap, a valid login still parses and
+// establishes a session (303). This guards against the body limit
+// consuming or corrupting the form the CSRF check and handler depend on.
+func TestWithinLimitLoginPostSucceeds(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	_, srv := newBodyLimitTestRouter(t, MaxFormBytes)
+
+	cookies, token := csrfCredentials(t, srv, nil)
+
+	rec := postForm(srv, "/", cookies, url.Values{
+		loginKeyField:  {testSigningKey},
+		csrfTokenField: {token},
+	})
+
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusSeeOther {
+		t.Fatalf("within-limit POST / status = %d, want %d",
+			rec.Code, http.StatusSeeOther)
+	}
+
+	var authed bool
+
+	for _, c := range rec.Result().Cookies() {
+		if c.Name == session.CookieName && c.Value != "" {
+			authed = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !authed {
+		t.Error("within-limit valid login did not set a session cookie")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestWithinLimitGeneratePostSucceeds is the same non-regression check for
+// POST /generate.
+func TestWithinLimitGeneratePostSucceeds(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	h, srv := newBodyLimitTestRouter(t, MaxFormBytes)
+
+	sessionCookie := newSessionCookie(t, h)
+
+	cookies, token := csrfCredentials(t, srv, []*http.Cookie{sessionCookie})
+	cookies = append(cookies, sessionCookie)
+
+	rec := postForm(srv, "/generate", cookies, url.Values{
+		sourceURLField: {testSourceURL},
+		"format":       {"jpeg"},
+		csrfTokenField: {token},
+	})
+
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("within-limit POST /generate status = %d, want %d",
+			rec.Code, http.StatusOK)
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(rec.Body.String(), "/v1/e/") {
+		t.Error("within-limit generate response did not contain a generated URL")
+	}
+}

internal/server/http.go

@@ -9,24 +9,40 @@ import (
 
 // HTTP server configuration constants.
 const (
-	HTTPReadTimeout    = 30 * time.Second
-	HTTPWriteTimeout   = 60 * time.Second
+	HTTPReadTimeout = 30 * time.Second
+	// HTTPReadHeaderTimeout bounds the request-header read on its own,
+	// short, so a slowloris client dribbling headers is dropped well
+	// before it ties up a connection for the whole ReadTimeout window.
+	HTTPReadHeaderTimeout = 10 * time.Second
+	HTTPWriteTimeout      = 60 * time.Second
+	// HTTPIdleTimeout bounds how long an idle keep-alive connection is
+	// held open, so idle connections cannot accumulate without limit on a
+	// service targeting high concurrency.
+	HTTPIdleTimeout    = 120 * time.Second
 	HTTPMaxHeaderBytes = 8 << 10 // 8KB
 )
 
-func (s *Server) serveUntilShutdown() {
-	listenAddr := fmt.Sprintf(":%d", s.config.Port)
-	s.httpServer = &http.Server{
-		Addr:           listenAddr,
-		ReadTimeout:    HTTPReadTimeout,
-		WriteTimeout:   HTTPWriteTimeout,
-		MaxHeaderBytes: HTTPMaxHeaderBytes,
-		Handler:        s,
+// newHTTPServer builds the http.Server with the hardening timeouts and
+// limits applied. It is separate from serveUntilShutdown so the
+// configuration can be asserted in a test without binding a listener.
+func (s *Server) newHTTPServer() *http.Server {
+	return &http.Server{
+		Addr:              fmt.Sprintf(":%d", s.config.Port),
+		ReadTimeout:       HTTPReadTimeout,
+		ReadHeaderTimeout: HTTPReadHeaderTimeout,
+		WriteTimeout:      HTTPWriteTimeout,
+		IdleTimeout:       HTTPIdleTimeout,
+		MaxHeaderBytes:    HTTPMaxHeaderBytes,
+		Handler:           s,
 	}
+}
+
+func (s *Server) serveUntilShutdown() {
+	s.httpServer = s.newHTTPServer()
 
 	s.SetupRoutes()
 
-	s.log.Info("http begin listen", "listenaddr", listenAddr)
+	s.log.Info("http begin listen", "listenaddr", s.httpServer.Addr)
 
 	err := s.httpServer.ListenAndServe()
 	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {

internal/server/http_internal_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/config"
+)
+
+// TestNewHTTPServerTimeouts verifies that the constructed http.Server
+// carries every hardening timeout wired onto it, including the slowloris
+// defense (ReadHeaderTimeout) and the keep-alive bound (IdleTimeout). This
+// guards against a field being defined but never set on the server, so
+// each assertion compares the server field to its constant.
+func TestNewHTTPServerTimeouts(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	s := &Server{config: &config.Config{Port: 8080}}
+
+	srv := s.newHTTPServer()
+
+	fields := []struct {
+		name string
+		got  time.Duration
+		want time.Duration
+	}{
+		{"ReadTimeout", srv.ReadTimeout, HTTPReadTimeout},
+		{"ReadHeaderTimeout", srv.ReadHeaderTimeout, HTTPReadHeaderTimeout},
+		{"WriteTimeout", srv.WriteTimeout, HTTPWriteTimeout},
+		{"IdleTimeout", srv.IdleTimeout, HTTPIdleTimeout},
+	}
+
+	for _, f := range fields {
+		if f.got != f.want {
+			t.Errorf("%s = %v, want %v", f.name, f.got, f.want)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if srv.MaxHeaderBytes != HTTPMaxHeaderBytes {
+		t.Errorf("MaxHeaderBytes = %d, want %d",
+			srv.MaxHeaderBytes, HTTPMaxHeaderBytes)
+	}
+
+	if srv.Handler != s {
+		t.Error("Handler is not the server")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestHardeningTimeoutValues pins the intent behind the two new timeouts
+// without hard-coding brittle exact durations: the header-read phase is
+// bounded strictly shorter than the whole-request read (the slowloris
+// dribble), and idle keep-alive connections are bounded rather than held
+// open forever.
+func TestHardeningTimeoutValues(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	if HTTPReadHeaderTimeout <= 0 || HTTPReadHeaderTimeout > HTTPReadTimeout {
+		t.Errorf("ReadHeaderTimeout = %v, want positive and <= ReadTimeout %v",
+			HTTPReadHeaderTimeout, HTTPReadTimeout)
+	}
+
+	if HTTPIdleTimeout <= 0 {
+		t.Errorf("IdleTimeout = %v, want positive bound", HTTPIdleTimeout)
+	}
+}

internal/server/routes.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5/middleware"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus/promhttp"
 
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/handlers"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/static"
 )
 
@@ -46,8 +47,10 @@ func (s *Server) SetupRoutes() {
 
 	// Login/generator UI. The form routes carry CSRF protection; the
 	// token cookie is independent of the session cookie, so it also
-	// covers the login POST, where no session exists yet.
+	// covers the login POST, where no session exists yet. LimitBody caps
+	// the POST body ahead of CSRF, which reads its token from that body.
 	s.router.Group(func(r chi.Router) {
+		r.Use(s.h.LimitBody(handlers.MaxFormBytes))
 		r.Use(s.h.CSRF())
 		r.Get("/", s.h.HandleRoot())
 		r.Post("/", s.h.HandleRoot())