Encode ' in the source query; the generator compares the path as written

A "'" in the source query is percent-encoded with the other characters
a browser encodes in a query. The generator page compares the URL pixa
would fetch with the path as written, which url.URL keeps in RawPath,
so a path holding %2F is refused whatever else it holds. It also
refuses a source URL holding a user name and password, which pixa does
not send, and a source path holding a ".." segment, as /v1/image/ does.
README.md and TODO.md say so.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -339,11 +339,11 @@ percent-escape. So `my%20cat.jpg` in the image URL is the source path
 `/my%20cat.jpg`, fetched as `/my%2520cat.jpg`; and `100%25.png` is fetched as
 `/100%25.png`. The source query is the source URL's query as that URL writes it,
 its percent-escapes included, and is sent as it is, except that the characters a
-browser percent-encodes in a query (a space, `"`, `<`, `>`, control characters
+browser percent-encodes in a query (a space, `"`, `'`, `<`, `>`, control
-and characters outside ASCII) and a `%` that does not begin a percent-escape are
+characters and characters outside ASCII) and a `%` that does not begin a
-percent-encoded. pixa signs and caches the query in that form, so
+percent-escape are percent-encoded. pixa signs and caches the query in that
-`img%3Fname=my%20cat` and `img%3Fname=my%2520cat` in the image URL are the same
+form, so `img%3Fname=my%20cat` and `img%3Fname=my%2520cat` in the image URL are
-source query, `name=my%20cat`.
+the same source query, `name=my%20cat`.
 
 A size with one side `0` has that side scaled to keep the source's proportions,
 and is refused with 400 when that side would come out above 8192, the most
@@ -459,11 +459,13 @@ nor change what it asks for.
    sent with an empty format, or none, also makes a JPEG XL URL. Width and
    height both empty or `0` keep the original size; if only one of them is empty
    or `0`, that side is scaled to keep the image's proportions. A URL whose
-   scaled side would come out above 8192 answers 400. So does a source URL that
+   scaled side would come out above 8192 answers 400, and so does a source URL
-   the image URL would fetch written another way, such as one whose path holds
+   whose path holds a `..` segment. So does a source URL that the image URL
-   `%2F`, fetched as `/`, or `(`, fetched as `%28`, as pixa keeps the source
+   would fetch written another way, and the page then shows the URL pixa would
-   path decoded and fetches it percent-encoded again (see Routes); the page then
+   fetch: one with a user name and password, which pixa does not send, or one
-   shows the URL pixa would fetch.
+   whose path holds `%2F`, fetched as `/`, or `(`, fetched as `%28`, as pixa
+   keeps the source path decoded and fetches it percent-encoded again (see
+   Routes).
 3. The page shows the URL, `https://<host>/v1/e/<token>/img.<format>`, and when
    it expires. `<host>` is the host the page was opened on, and the URL starts
    with `http` instead while `debug` is on. The name after the token is ignored

TODO.md

@@ -30,6 +30,19 @@ P2: security: per-origin rate limiting
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-16 the source URL a request fetches is built with `net/url` from the
+  source host, path and query, not joined as text (closes #288). The source
+  path, decoded, is fetched percent-encoded again, so `100%25.png` fetches
+  `/100%25.png` where it answered 401, and `my%20cat.png` and `my%2520cat.png`
+  fetch different paths where both fetched `/my%20cat.png` under two cache keys.
+  The source query stays as the source URL writes it; the characters a browser
+  percent-encodes in a query, such as `'` or a space, which was sent raw and
+  answered 502, are percent-encoded when the image URL is read, so the query is
+  signed and cached as it is sent. The generator page answers 400, showing the
+  URL pixa would fetch, for a source URL its image URL would fetch written
+  another way, such as with `%2F` in the path, whatever else the path holds, or
+  with a user name and password. It also answers 400 for a source path holding a
+  `..` segment, as `/v1/image/` refuses one.
 - 2026-10-15 a thin source requested with `fit=cover` no longer makes libvips
   build a huge image (closes #282): libvips' thumbnail scaled the whole source
   to cover the requested size and copied that into memory before it cut out the
@@ -42,17 +55,6 @@ P2: security: per-origin rate limiting
   resident memory peaked at about 242 MiB for the 8192x64 source and 431 MiB for
   the 8192x1 one. The output can sit a fraction of an output pixel from where it
   was.
-- 2026-10-16 the source URL a request fetches is built with `net/url` from the
-  source host, path and query, not joined as text (closes #288). The source
-  path, decoded, is fetched percent-encoded again, so `100%25.png` fetches
-  `/100%25.png` where it answered 401, and `my%20cat.png` and `my%2520cat.png`
-  fetch different paths where both fetched `/my%20cat.png` under two cache keys.
-  The source query stays as the source URL writes it; the characters a browser
-  percent-encodes in a query, such as a space, which was sent raw and answered
-  502, are percent-encoded when the image URL is read, so the query is signed
-  and cached as it is sent. The generator page answers 400, showing the URL pixa
-  would fetch, for a source URL its image URL would fetch written another way,
-  such as with `%2F` in the path.
 - 2026-10-15 a `/v1/image/` URL whose source path or source query holds a `#`,
   written as `%23`, is refused with 400 (closes #286): the source URL built from
   it ended at the `#` when fetched, so each text after it fetched the same

internal/handlers/auth.go

@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ import (
 	"math"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
+	"slices"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/clientip"
@@ -133,6 +135,16 @@ func (s *Handlers) HandleGenerateURL() http.HandlerFunc {
 			return
 		}
 
+		// /v1/image/ refuses a ".." segment in the source path, and so does
+		// the generator. The path is decoded, so %2e%2e counts too
+		if slices.Contains(strings.Split(parsed.Path, "/"), "..") {
+			s.renderGeneratorWithForm(w, r,
+				"Source URL path cannot hold a .. segment", r.Form,
+				http.StatusBadRequest)
+
+			return
+		}
+
 		payload, expiresAt, ttl, err := buildGeneratePayload(parsed, r.Form)
 		if err != nil {
 			s.renderGeneratorWithForm(w, r, err.Error(), r.Form,
@@ -141,17 +153,14 @@ func (s *Handlers) HandleGenerateURL() http.HandlerFunc {
 			return
 		}
 
-		// The image URL must fetch the source URL as it was written. The
+		// The image URL must fetch the source URL as it was written
-		// token keeps the path decoded and pixa fetches it percent-encoded
-		// again, so a path written another way, such as with %2F, would fetch
-		// another URL. The scheme is not kept: only path and query are compared
 		sourceRequest := payload.ToImageRequest()
 		sourceRequest.AllowHTTP = s.config.AllowHTTP
+		fetchURL := sourceRequest.SourceURL()
 
-		fetchURL, err := url.Parse(sourceRequest.SourceURL())
+		if !fetchedAsWritten(parsed, fetchURL) {
-		if err != nil || fetchURL.RequestURI() != parsed.RequestURI() {
 			s.renderGeneratorWithForm(w, r, "Source URL cannot be fetched as "+
-				"written: pixa would fetch "+sourceRequest.SourceURL(),
+				"written: pixa would fetch "+fetchURL,
 				r.Form, http.StatusBadRequest)
 
 			return
@@ -189,6 +198,29 @@ func (s *Handlers) HandleGenerateURL() http.HandlerFunc {
 	}
 }
 
+// fetchedAsWritten reports whether fetchURL, the URL pixa fetches for an
+// image URL made from the source URL source, is source as it was written,
+// apart from the scheme, which the token does not keep. It is not when source
+// holds a user name and password, which the token does not keep either, or a
+// "?" with no query after it. The token keeps the source path decoded and
+// pixa fetches it percent-encoded again, so a path written another way, such
+// as with %2F, is fetched as another path. url.URL keeps the path as written
+// in RawPath when it is not the decoded path percent-encoded again.
+// EscapedPath ignores RawPath when it also holds a character net/url encodes,
+// such as a space, so RawPath is compared itself.
+func fetchedAsWritten(source *url.URL, fetchURL string) bool {
+	writtenPath := source.RawPath
+	if writtenPath == "" {
+		writtenPath = source.EscapedPath()
+	}
+
+	fetched, err := url.Parse(fetchURL)
+
+	return err == nil && source.User == nil && !source.ForceQuery &&
+		fetched.EscapedPath() == writtenPath &&
+		fetched.RawQuery == source.RawQuery
+}
+
 // buildGeneratePayload parses the numeric form fields and assembles the
 // encrypted URL payload. ttl=0 means never expires (ExpiresAt stays 0). A
 // non-numeric or out-of-range width, height, quality or ttl, or an

internal/imgcache/urlparser.go

@@ -52,10 +52,11 @@ var sizeFormatRegex = regexp.MustCompile(
 var percentEscapeRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`%[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}`)
 
 // queryEscapeRegex matches a percent-escape, or one character that a browser
-// percent-encodes in a URL's query: one outside the printable ASCII characters
+// percent-encodes in the query of an http or https URL: one outside the
-// "!" to "~", such as a space, a control character or a character outside
+// printable ASCII characters "!" to "~", such as a space, a control character
-// ASCII, or one of `"#<>`. A "%" that does not begin a percent-escape matches too.
+// or a character outside ASCII, or one of `"#'<>`. A "%" that does not begin a
-var queryEscapeRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`%[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}|[^!-~]|["#<>%]`)
+// percent-escape matches too.
+var queryEscapeRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`%[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}|[^!-~]|["#'<>%]`)
 
 // hostRegex matches the forms the host of an image URL may take: a host name
 // or an IPv4 address (letters, digits, "-", "_" and "."), or an IPv6 address

internal/server/source_url_internal_test.go

@@ -157,10 +157,11 @@ func postGenerate(
 }
 
 // TestImageURLFetchesItsSourcePathAndQuery requests image URLs whose source
-// query holds a space and whose source path holds a "%", each written
+// query holds a space, written percent-encoded, or a "'", and whose source
-// percent-encoded, and checks the one request the upstream receives: the
+// path holds a "%", written percent-encoded, and checks the one request the
-// source path percent-encoded again, and the source query with the space
+// upstream receives: the source path percent-encoded again, and the source
-// written %20.
+// query with the space written %20 and the "'" written %27, as a browser
+// writes them in a query.
 func TestImageURLFetchesItsSourcePathAndQuery(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -174,6 +175,8 @@ func TestImageURLFetchesItsSourcePathAndQuery(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{"space in the query", "/photo.png%3Fname=my%20cat",
 			"/photo.png?name=my%20cat"},
+		{"apostrophe in the query", "/photo.png%3Fname=it's",
+			"/photo.png?name=it%27s"},
 		{"percent sign in the path", percentSignPath, percentSignPath},
 	}
 
@@ -305,30 +308,64 @@ func TestGeneratedURLFetchesTheSourceURLAsEntered(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestGeneratorRefusesSourceURLItWouldFetchAnotherWay submits a source URL
+// TestGeneratorRefusesSourceURLItCannotFetchAsWritten submits source URLs the
-// whose path holds %2F. pixa keeps the path decoded and would fetch it with a
+// generator page must make no encrypted URL for, and checks that it answers
-// "/" there, which is another URL, so the generator page answers 400, shows
+// 400 and shows why. pixa keeps the source path decoded and fetches it
-// the URL pixa would fetch, and makes no encrypted URL.
+// percent-encoded again, so a path holding %2F would be fetched with a "/"
-func TestGeneratorRefusesSourceURLItWouldFetchAnotherWay(t *testing.T) {
+// there, whatever else the path holds. pixa sends no user name or password,
+// and no "?" with no query after it. For these the page shows the URL pixa
+// would fetch. A source path holding a ".." segment is refused, as
+// /v1/image/ refuses it.
+func TestGeneratorRefusesSourceURLItCannotFetchAsWritten(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	s, _, _ := startImageProxy(t, startRecordingUpstream(t).Server)
-
-	rec := postGenerate(t, s, "https://"+upstreamHost+"/a%2Fb.png")
-	body := rec.Body.String()
-
-	if rec.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
-		t.Errorf("status = %d, want %d", rec.Code, http.StatusBadRequest)
-	}
-
-	if strings.Contains(body, "/v1/e/") {
-		t.Error("the page shows an encrypted URL")
-	}
-
 	// The test config sets allow_http, so pixa would fetch over plain HTTP
-	fetchURL := "http://" + upstreamHost + "/a/b.png"
+	const fetchedFrom = "http://" + upstreamHost
-	if !strings.Contains(body, fetchURL) {
+
-		t.Errorf("the page does not show the URL pixa would fetch, %s; body %s",
+	tests := []struct {
-			fetchURL, body)
+		name string
+		// sourceURL is the source URL after "https://"
+		sourceURL string
+		// wantShown is what the page must show: the URL pixa would fetch, or
+		// why it makes no encrypted URL
+		wantShown string
+	}{
+		{"encoded slash", upstreamHost + "/a%2Fb.png",
+			fetchedFrom + "/a/b.png"},
+		{"encoded slash and a space", upstreamHost + "/a%2Fb c.png",
+			fetchedFrom + "/a/b%20c.png"},
+		{"encoded slash and a bar", upstreamHost + "/a%2Fb|c.png",
+			fetchedFrom + "/a/b%7Cc.png"},
+		{"encoded slash and a letter outside ASCII", upstreamHost + "/café%2Fx.png",
+			fetchedFrom + "/caf%C3%A9/x.png"},
+		{"user name and password", "user:pass@" + upstreamHost + "/a.png",
+			fetchedFrom + "/a.png"},
+		{"question mark with no query", upstreamHost + "/a.png?",
+			fetchedFrom + "/a.png"},
+		{"two-dot segment", upstreamHost + "/a/../b.png",
+			"cannot hold a .. segment"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			s, _, _ := startImageProxy(t, startRecordingUpstream(t).Server)
+
+			rec := postGenerate(t, s, "https://"+tt.sourceURL)
+			body := rec.Body.String()
+
+			if rec.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+				t.Errorf("status = %d, want %d", rec.Code, http.StatusBadRequest)
+			}
+
+			if strings.Contains(body, "/v1/e/") {
+				t.Error("the page shows an encrypted URL")
+			}
+
+			if !strings.Contains(body, tt.wantShown) {
+				t.Errorf("the page does not show %s; body %s", tt.wantShown, body)
+			}
+		})
 	}
 }