Remove expired negative cache rows in the eviction loop (closes #244)

A negative cache row was deleted only when its URL was requested
again, so a client asking for a new missing path each time grew the
database without limit. The eviction goroutine now removes expired rows
at startup and on every tick, so a row stays about NegativeTTL plus one
eviction interval. It deletes at most 1000 rows per statement, so a
request on the one database connection waits behind one batch at most.
The goroutine now also runs when the disk cache is disabled, since the
negative cache is used either way.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -160,14 +160,6 @@ name.
 Multiple source paths may reference the same content blob; the database tracks
 references rather than using filesystem refcounting.
 
-Source and transformed image files, and the `.meta` file beside each transformed
-image, are written under a temporary name, synced to disk, and only then renamed
-into place, so a crash leaves no file under its own name with part of its data.
-When pixa starts, and every five minutes after, it removes each cached source or
-transformed image whose file is empty, or not the size the database records for
-it, with a warning naming the file; the next request for it fetches the source
-or converts the image again.
-
 pixa's target is 1-5k r/s, which has not been measured at that rate (see Load
 Test). Toward it, pixa keeps in memory the content types of the 10,000
 transformed images most recently cached or served, so a cache hit on one of them
@@ -208,9 +200,10 @@ path under `/v1/` answers 200, in maintenance mode too.
   `image_requests_per_minute` (below); 415 when the upstream answers with a
   `Content-Type` that is not one of the source formats (below), or with an image
   whose first bytes libvips reads as another format; 502 when the upstream
-  answered with an error status, and for 5 minutes after that for the same
-  source URL; 503 when pixa is busy or in maintenance mode; 500 for any other
-  failure.
+  answered with an error status, and for 5 minutes after that for an image of
+  the same source URL that pixa can neither serve from its cache nor make from
+  the source image still in its cache; 503 when pixa is busy or in maintenance
+  mode; 500 for any other failure.
 - `GET` or `HEAD` `/v1/e/<token>/<name>` — an image through an encrypted URL
   (see Encrypted URLs). Needs: nothing but the URL. Answers: 200; 304 when
   `If-None-Match` matches the image's `ETag`; 400 for a token that does not
@@ -426,9 +419,14 @@ HMAC-SHA256(secret, "host:path:query:width:height:format:expiration:quality:fit"
 
 Where:
 
-- `host` — source origin hostname (e.g. `cdn.example.com`)
-- `path` — source path (e.g. `/photos/cat.jpg`)
-- `query` — source query string, empty string if none
+- `host` — source host as the URL writes it up to the first `/`, in lower case,
+  keeping an IPv6 address's brackets and any `:` and port after it (e.g.
+  `cdn.example.com`, `cdn.example.com:8443`, `[2001:db8::1]:8443`)
+- `path` — source path (e.g. `/photos/cat.jpg`), with each `%` written as `%25`
+  and each `:` as `%3A`, so `/photos/a:b.jpg` is signed as `/photos/a%3Ab.jpg`
+- `query` — source query string, empty string if none, with `%` and `:` written
+  as in `path`; neither then holds a `:`, so path `/a:b` with no query and path
+  `/a` with query `b:` are signed differently
 - `width` — requested width in pixels, `0` for original
 - `height` — requested height in pixels, `0` for original
 - `format` — output format, one of those listed under Routes, with `original`
@@ -478,6 +476,12 @@ entry that is neither a host name (letters, digits, hyphens, underscores and
 dots, with at most one leading dot) nor an IP address, such as one with a port
 or a `*.` wildcard, aborts startup.
 
+pixa lower-cases the host of a `/v1/image/` URL before anything else uses it, so
+`CDN.Example.com` is matched, fetched, cached and counted against
+`upstream_connections_per_host` as `cdn.example.com`. Such a URL whose host has
+a port, as in `cdn.example.com:8443`, or a `:` with no port, needs a signature
+even when the host is allowlisted. A host holding `@` is refused with 400.
+
 ### Configuration
 
 Every setting can be given as an environment variable, in a YAML config file

TODO.md

@@ -30,18 +30,46 @@ P2: security: per-origin rate limiting
 
 # Completed Steps
 
-- 2026-10-15 a cached file left empty or partial is no longer served, or fetched
-  again on every request (closes #252). Source and transformed image files, and
-  each transformed image's `.meta` file, are synced to disk before they are
-  renamed into place, and their directory after; the `.meta` file is written
-  before the image, and a failed directory sync removes the renamed file. The
-  reconciliation pass, at startup and every five minutes, removes a cached
-  source or transformed image whose file is empty, or not the size the database
-  records for it, with its rows and a warning naming the file, so the next
-  request fetches the source or converts the image again; requests compare no
-  sizes. Storing a source over a file of another size replaces that file. A
-  source that fails to decode is not removed for that alone: a damaged upstream
-  image would then be fetched on every request.
+- 2026-10-15 expired negative cache rows are removed on a schedule (closes
+  #244): the row of a failed fetch, which makes pixa answer 502 for that source
+  URL for 5 minutes, was deleted only when the same URL was requested again
+  after that, so a client asking for a new missing path each time added rows
+  that stayed for good. The eviction goroutine now calls `CleanExpired` at
+  startup and on each periodic tick, every 5 minutes in pixad, so a row stays at
+  most about 10 minutes. `CleanExpired` deletes at most 1000 rows per statement,
+  so a request waits behind 1000 deletions at most, however many rows have
+  expired. The goroutine runs with the disk cache disabled
+  (`cache_max_bytes: 0`) too, where it does nothing else, as the negative cache
+  is used either way.
+- 2026-10-15 a cached variant is served while its source URL is in the negative
+  cache (closes #245): `Get` checked the negative cache before the variant
+  cache, so once a fetch of the source failed, as one does when another variant
+  misses after the source was evicted and the upstream is down, every variant of
+  that source answered 502 for 5 minutes, also one on disk or one that could be
+  made from the cached source. The negative cache is now checked only just
+  before a fetch from the upstream, so a cached variant is served and a variant
+  not in the cache is made from the cached source when there is one. `README.md`
+  says so under `/v1/image/`. A refusal from the negative cache now counts as a
+  miss, as any other request that misses the variant cache does.
+- 2026-10-15 the host of a `/v1/image/` URL is lower-cased, and one with a port
+  needs a signature (closes #246): with `cdn.example.com` allowlisted,
+  `CDN.Example.com` and `cdn.example.com:8443` passed the allowlist too, and
+  each spelling was fetched and cached on its own and had connections of its own
+  under `upstream_connections_per_host`. The image URL parser now lower-cases
+  the host and refuses one holding `@`, which a URL reads as a user name and
+  password, with 400. A host with a port, or with a `:` and no port, needs a
+  signature even when it is allowlisted. That is checked in the image service,
+  not in `allowlist.IsAllowed`, which also matches `referer_blocklist`, where a
+  `Referer` is blocked whatever its port. A URL is signed over its host as it
+  writes it, in lower case, with any IPv6 brackets, `:` and port kept.
+- 2026-10-15 a `:` in the source path or query no longer moves where the path
+  ends and the query begins (closes #247): the signed data and the cache key
+  joined host, path and query with `:` and no escaping, so a URL signed for
+  `https://h/a:b` verified for `https://h/a?b:`; the two also shared a cache
+  key, and whichever was fetched first was served for both. In both, the path
+  and the query now have each `%` written as `%25` and each `:` as `%3A`; a path
+  and query holding neither are signed and keyed as before. Signature
+  Specification in `README.md` says so.
 - 2026-10-15 the example config allowlists no host (closes #249): it allowlisted
   `github.com` and `user-images.githubusercontent.com`, where anyone can put an
   image, so a deployment set up as Getting Started says served those images to
@@ -50,6 +78,15 @@ P2: security: per-origin rate limiting
   commented entry under `example.com`. Getting Started and "Running under upaas"
   in `README.md` say that every image on an allowlisted host is served without a
   signature, so an allowlisted host must be one the operator controls.
+- 2026-10-15 a chunked upstream body of exactly `upstream_max_response_size`
+  bytes is accepted (closes #248): once the limit was used up, the fetcher's
+  next read refused the body without looking for its end. Go's HTTP client
+  returns the end of a body sent with a `Content-Length` together with its last
+  bytes, but the end of a chunked body can come in a later read, so such a body
+  was refused after it had been downloaded whole, and the image routes
+  answered 500. Once the limit is used up, the fetcher now reads one more byte:
+  if the body has ended it is accepted, and if there is more it is refused with
+  `ErrResponseTooLarge`, as before.
 - 2026-10-13 `fit=outside` no longer makes an output above 8192 on a side
   (closes #257): it scales the image to cover the requested size, and the side
   scaled past that size was held to no maximum, so `1x8192?fit=outside` of a

internal/handlers/handlers.go

@@ -124,7 +124,8 @@ func (s *Handlers) initImageService() error {
 	s.imgCache = cache
 
 	// Background eviction: startup reconciliation, then periodic and
-	// write-pressure passes. No-op when the disk cache is disabled.
+	// write-pressure passes, and the removal of expired negative cache
+	// rows, which is all it does when the disk cache is disabled.
 	cache.StartEviction(imgcache.DefaultEvictionInterval)
 
 	// Writes the counts requests could not write by their deadline

internal/httpfetcher/fetch_internal_test.go

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"slices"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
@@ -297,6 +298,139 @@ func TestFetchMaxResponseSizeEnforced(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// fetchWithMaxResponseSize serves handler as the fake upstream and fetches
+// its /image route with MaxResponseSize set to maxResponseSize.
+func fetchWithMaxResponseSize(
+	t *testing.T,
+	maxResponseSize int64,
+	handler http.HandlerFunc,
+) *FetchResult {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(handler)
+	t.Cleanup(srv.Close)
+
+	cfg := DefaultConfig()
+	cfg.MaxResponseSize = maxResponseSize
+
+	f, _ := newServerFetcher(t, srv, cfg)
+
+	res := fetchImage(t, f, "/image")
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = res.Content.Close() })
+
+	return res
+}
+
+// TestFetchContentLengthBodyAtMaxResponseSize checks that a body sent with a
+// Content-Length is read whole at exactly MaxResponseSize bytes and refused
+// at one byte more.
+func TestFetchContentLengthBodyAtMaxResponseSize(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const maxResponseSize = 8
+
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		size    int
+		wantErr error
+	}{
+		{maxResponseSize, nil},
+		{maxResponseSize + 1, ErrResponseTooLarge},
+	} {
+		t.Run(strconv.Itoa(tc.size)+" bytes", func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			body := strings.Repeat("x", tc.size)
+
+			res := fetchWithMaxResponseSize(t, maxResponseSize,
+				func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+					w.Header().Set("Content-Type", contentTypeJPEG)
+					w.Header().Set("Content-Length", strconv.Itoa(tc.size))
+					_, _ = io.WriteString(w, body)
+				})
+
+			if res.ContentLength != int64(tc.size) {
+				t.Fatalf("ContentLength = %d, want %d", res.ContentLength, tc.size)
+			}
+
+			data, err := io.ReadAll(res.Content)
+			t.Logf("body of %d bytes: read %d, error %v", tc.size, len(data), err)
+
+			if !errors.Is(err, tc.wantErr) {
+				t.Fatalf("read error = %v, want %v", err, tc.wantErr)
+			}
+
+			if err == nil && string(data) != body {
+				t.Errorf("read %q, want %q", data, body)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestFetchChunkedBodyAtMaxResponseSize checks that a chunked body is read
+// whole at exactly MaxResponseSize bytes and refused at one byte more. The
+// upstream sends the end of the body only once the test has read
+// MaxResponseSize bytes, so the read after them comes before the end of the
+// body has arrived, as it can from a real upstream.
+func TestFetchChunkedBodyAtMaxResponseSize(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const maxResponseSize = 8
+
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		size    int
+		wantErr error
+	}{
+		{maxResponseSize, nil},
+		{maxResponseSize + 1, ErrResponseTooLarge},
+	} {
+		t.Run(strconv.Itoa(tc.size)+" bytes", func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			body := strings.Repeat("x", tc.size)
+			endBody := make(chan struct{})
+
+			res := fetchWithMaxResponseSize(t, maxResponseSize,
+				func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+					w.Header().Set("Content-Type", contentTypeJPEG)
+					_, _ = io.WriteString(w, body)
+					// With no Content-Length, flushing sends the body
+					// chunked; its end is sent when the handler returns.
+					_ = http.NewResponseController(w).Flush()
+
+					select {
+					case <-endBody:
+					case <-r.Context().Done():
+					}
+				})
+
+			if res.ContentLength != -1 {
+				t.Fatalf("ContentLength = %d, want -1 (chunked)", res.ContentLength)
+			}
+
+			head := make([]byte, maxResponseSize)
+
+			_, err := io.ReadFull(res.Content, head)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("read the first %d bytes: %v", maxResponseSize, err)
+			}
+
+			close(endBody)
+
+			rest, err := io.ReadAll(res.Content)
+			data := string(head) + string(rest)
+			t.Logf("body of %d bytes: read %d, error %v", tc.size, len(data), err)
+
+			if !errors.Is(err, tc.wantErr) {
+				t.Fatalf("read error = %v, want %v", err, tc.wantErr)
+			}
+
+			if err == nil && data != body {
+				t.Errorf("read %q, want %q", data, body)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestFetchSemaphoreReleasedOnError(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 

internal/httpfetcher/httpfetcher.go

@@ -660,14 +660,33 @@ func dialSSRFSafe(
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w to %s", errConnectFailed, host)
 }
 
-// limitedReader wraps a reader and limits the number of bytes read.
+// limitedReader wraps a reader and refuses a body longer than remaining
+// bytes with ErrResponseTooLarge. remaining goes below 0 once the body is
+// found to be longer.
 type limitedReader struct {
 	reader    io.Reader
 	remaining int64
 }
 
+// Read reads at most the remaining bytes. Once they are read, it reads one
+// more byte to tell the end of the body from more data: at the end it
+// returns the wrapped reader's error, io.EOF; with more data it returns
+// ErrResponseTooLarge, as does every later Read.
 func (r *limitedReader) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
-	if r.remaining <= 0 {
+	if r.remaining < 0 {
+		return 0, ErrResponseTooLarge
+	}
+
+	if r.remaining == 0 {
+		var extra [1]byte
+
+		n, err := r.reader.Read(extra[:])
+		r.remaining -= int64(n)
+
+		if n == 0 {
+			return 0, err
+		}
+
 		return 0, ErrResponseTooLarge
 	}
 

internal/imgcache/cache.go

@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ const httpStatusOK = 200
 // variant not among them is served as before, reading its .meta file.
 const metaCacheSize = 10000
 
+// cleanExpiredBatchSize is the most expired negative cache rows one
+// statement of CleanExpired deletes. Each batch is a statement of its
+// own, so a request waits behind one batch at most, however many rows
+// have expired.
+const cleanExpiredBatchSize = 1000
+
 // CacheConfig holds cache configuration.
 type CacheConfig struct {
 	StateDir    string
@@ -50,8 +56,9 @@ type CacheConfig struct {
 
 	// DisableDiskCache turns the disk cache off entirely: no cache
 	// directories are created, lookups always miss, stores are
-	// no-ops, and no eviction machinery runs. The config layer sets
-	// this when the operator configures cache_max_bytes: 0.
+	// no-ops, and the eviction goroutine only removes the expired
+	// negative cache rows. The config layer sets this when the
+	// operator configures cache_max_bytes: 0.
 	DisableDiskCache bool
 
 	// Logger receives accounting and eviction log output. A nil
@@ -482,17 +489,27 @@ func (c *Cache) GetSourceContent(
 	return c.srcContent.LoadWithSize(contentHash)
 }
 
-// CleanExpired removes expired entries from the cache.
+// CleanExpired removes the negative cache rows past their expiry, one
+// batch per statement, until none is left. Once ctx ends it starts no
+// further batch and returns ctx's error. The eviction goroutine calls it
+// at startup and on every periodic tick, so a row stays about
+// NegativeTTL plus one eviction interval, whether or not its URL is
+// requested again.
 func (c *Cache) CleanExpired(ctx context.Context) error {
-	// Clean expired negative cache entries
-	_, err := c.db.ExecContext(ctx, `
-		DELETE FROM negative_cache WHERE expires_at < CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
-	`)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to clean negative cache: %w", err)
-	}
+	for {
+		if ctx.Err() != nil {
+			return ctx.Err()
+		}
 
-	return nil
+		deleted, err := c.cleanExpiredBatch(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		if deleted < cleanExpiredBatchSize {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 // Stats returns cache statistics.
@@ -643,10 +660,10 @@ func (c *Cache) readHitAndMissCounts(ctx context.Context, stats *CacheStats) err
 // hold: it reads the content type from the variant's .meta file and
 // keeps it in metaCache, unless a StoreVariant has put one there
 // meanwhile, as the store's is newer. A read that finds no .meta file,
-// as one can when the store's .meta write failed or an eviction removed
-// the file after the read opened the variant, serves
-// application/octet-stream and keeps nothing, so metaCache only ever
-// holds a type read from a .meta file or passed to StoreVariant.
+// as one can between a store's writing of the variant file and of its
+// .meta file, serves application/octet-stream and keeps nothing, so
+// metaCache only ever holds a type read from a .meta file or passed to
+// StoreVariant.
 func (c *Cache) loadVariantWithMeta(
 	cacheKey VariantKey,
 ) (io.ReadCloser, int64, string, error) {
@@ -756,3 +773,27 @@ func (c *Cache) checkNegativeCache(
 
 	return true, nil
 }
+
+// cleanExpiredBatch deletes up to cleanExpiredBatchSize negative cache
+// rows past their expiry in one statement, and returns how many it
+// deleted. DELETE ... LIMIT needs a SQLite build option, so the subquery
+// picks the rows.
+func (c *Cache) cleanExpiredBatch(ctx context.Context) (int64, error) {
+	result, err := c.db.ExecContext(ctx, `
+		DELETE FROM negative_cache WHERE id IN (
+			SELECT id FROM negative_cache
+			WHERE expires_at < CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
+			LIMIT ?
+		)
+	`, cleanExpiredBatchSize)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to clean negative cache: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	deleted, err := result.RowsAffected()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to count cleaned negative cache rows: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return deleted, nil
+}

internal/imgcache/eviction.go

@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/fs"
 	"os"
@@ -438,14 +437,16 @@ func (c *Cache) notifyWritePressure() {
 }
 
 // StartEviction launches the background eviction goroutine, which
-// reconciles the database accounting with the cache directories at
-// startup and again on every periodic tick thereafter, and evicts to
-// the configured limit on the given periodic interval and on
-// write-pressure notifications. It is a no-op on a disabled cache or
-// when already started. The goroutine outlives the caller, so it runs
-// with its own context, which StopEviction cancels.
+// reconciles the database accounting with the cache directories and
+// removes the expired negative cache rows at startup and again on every
+// periodic tick thereafter, and evicts to the configured limit on the
+// given periodic interval and on write-pressure notifications. On a
+// disabled cache it only removes the expired negative cache rows, as
+// the negative cache is used either way. It is a no-op when already
+// started. The goroutine outlives the caller, so it runs with its own
+// context, which StopEviction cancels.
 func (c *Cache) StartEviction(interval time.Duration) {
-	if c.disabled || c.evictionCancel != nil {
+	if c.evictionCancel != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -481,6 +482,7 @@ func (c *Cache) evictionLoop(ctx context.Context, interval time.Duration) {
 	defer close(c.evictionDone)
 
 	c.runReconciliationPass(ctx)
+	c.runCleanExpired(ctx)
 	c.runEvictionPass(ctx)
 
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(interval)
@@ -501,6 +503,7 @@ func (c *Cache) evictionLoop(ctx context.Context, interval time.Duration) {
 			// unaccounted for to one interval, on a process that is
 			// already running this loop regardless.
 			c.runReconciliationPass(ctx)
+			c.runCleanExpired(ctx)
 		case <-c.evictionPressure:
 		}
 
@@ -536,6 +539,20 @@ func (c *Cache) runReconciliationPass(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 }
 
+// runCleanExpired runs CleanExpired, logging a failure instead of
+// propagating it (the loop must keep running). It does nothing once ctx
+// is cancelled.
+func (c *Cache) runCleanExpired(ctx context.Context) {
+	if ctx.Err() != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	err := c.CleanExpired(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		c.log.Warn("negative cache cleanup failed", "error", err)
+	}
+}
+
 // reconcileAccounting synchronizes the database size accounting with
 // the actual contents of the cache directories. It runs at startup and
 // again on every periodic eviction tick thereafter, off the request
@@ -543,11 +560,10 @@ func (c *Cache) runReconciliationPass(ctx context.Context) {
 // (or whose accounting insert failed, e.g. StoreVariant's best-effort
 // insert under transient DB contention), drops accounting rows whose
 // files are missing, removes source blob files the database does not
-// know (and rows whose files are gone), removes source and variant files
-// that are empty or not the size their rows record, sweeps stale temp
-// files left behind by crashed writes, and last checks the total cache
-// usage against the tables. It reads the tables a page at a time.
-// Running it periodically, not just once, bounds how long such drift can
+// know (and rows whose files are gone), sweeps stale temp files left
+// behind by crashed writes, and last checks the total cache usage
+// against the tables. It reads the tables a page at a time. Running it
+// periodically, not just once, bounds how long such drift can
 // accumulate unaccounted for on a long-running process to one eviction
 // interval. Once ctx is cancelled, it stops at the next file or row and
 // returns ctx's error.
@@ -579,9 +595,8 @@ func (c *Cache) reconcileAccounting(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return c.reconcileUsageTotal(ctx)
 }
 
-// reconcileVariantFiles walks the variant storage directory, checking
-// each variant file against its accounting row (reconcileVariantFile)
-// and sweeping stale temp files.
+// reconcileVariantFiles walks the variant storage directory, adopting
+// files without accounting rows and sweeping stale temp files.
 func (c *Cache) reconcileVariantFiles(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return filepath.WalkDir(
 		c.variants.baseDir,
@@ -606,55 +621,38 @@ func (c *Cache) reconcileVariantFiles(ctx context.Context) error {
 				return nil
 			}
 
-			return c.reconcileVariantFile(ctx, path, entry, VariantKey(name))
+			return c.adoptVariantFile(ctx, path, entry, VariantKey(name))
 		},
 	)
 }
 
-// reconcileVariantFile checks one variant file against its accounting
-// row. A file without a row is adopted into the accounting, unless it is
-// empty. A file that is empty, or not the size its row records, as a
-// crash or a restored snapshot can leave it, is removed with its row and
-// a warning naming it, so the variant is converted again.
-func (c *Cache) reconcileVariantFile(
-	ctx context.Context, path string, entry fs.DirEntry, cacheKey VariantKey,
-) error {
-	info, err := entry.Info()
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to stat variant file: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	var recordedSize int64
-
-	err = c.db.QueryRowContext(ctx,
-		`SELECT size_bytes FROM variant_content WHERE cache_key = ?`, string(cacheKey),
-	).Scan(&recordedSize)
-
-	switch {
-	case errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) && info.Size() > 0:
-		return c.adoptVariantFile(ctx, path, info, cacheKey)
-	case err != nil && !errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows):
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check variant accounting row: %w", err)
-	case info.Size() > 0 && info.Size() == recordedSize:
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// The file is empty, or not the size its row records
-	c.log.Warn("removing damaged cached variant file", "path", path,
-		"file_bytes", info.Size(), "recorded_bytes", recordedSize)
-
-	return c.evictVariant(ctx, cacheKey)
-}
-
 // adoptVariantFile inserts an accounting row for a variant file that
 // has none, using the file's size and modification time.
 func (c *Cache) adoptVariantFile(
-	ctx context.Context, path string, info fs.FileInfo, cacheKey VariantKey,
+	ctx context.Context, path string, entry fs.DirEntry, cacheKey VariantKey,
 ) error {
+	var rowExists int
+
+	err := c.db.QueryRowContext(ctx,
+		`SELECT COUNT(*) FROM variant_content WHERE cache_key = ?`, string(cacheKey),
+	).Scan(&rowExists)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check variant accounting row: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if rowExists > 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	info, err := entry.Info()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to stat variant file: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	modTime := info.ModTime().UTC().Format(sqliteTimestampLayout)
 	contentType := c.variantContentTypeFromSidecar(path)
 
-	_, err := c.db.ExecContext(ctx, `
+	_, err = c.db.ExecContext(ctx, `
 		INSERT INTO variant_content
 			(cache_key, size_bytes, content_type, created_at, last_accessed_at)
 		VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
@@ -773,9 +771,10 @@ func queryStringColumn[T ~string](
 	return values, nil
 }
 
-// reconcileSourceFiles walks the source content directory, checking
-// each blob file against its source_content row (reconcileSourceFile)
-// and sweeping stale temp files.
+// reconcileSourceFiles walks the source content directory, removing
+// blob files the database does not track (they are unreachable: source
+// lookups always go through source_metadata) and sweeping stale temp
+// files.
 func (c *Cache) reconcileSourceFiles(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return filepath.WalkDir(
 		c.srcContent.baseDir,
@@ -796,55 +795,31 @@ func (c *Cache) reconcileSourceFiles(ctx context.Context) error {
 				return nil
 			}
 
-			return c.reconcileSourceFile(ctx, path, entry, ContentHash(name))
+			return c.removeUntrackedSourceFile(ctx, path, ContentHash(name))
 		},
 	)
 }
 
-// reconcileSourceFile checks one source blob file against its
-// source_content row. A file without a row is removed: it is
-// unreachable, as source lookups always go through source_metadata. A
-// file that is empty, or not the size its row records, as a crash or a
-// restored snapshot can leave it, is removed with its rows and a warning
-// naming it, so the source is fetched again.
-func (c *Cache) reconcileSourceFile(
-	ctx context.Context, path string, entry fs.DirEntry, contentHash ContentHash,
-) error {
-	info, err := entry.Info()
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to stat source content file: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	var recordedSize int64
-
-	err = c.db.QueryRowContext(ctx,
-		`SELECT size_bytes FROM source_content WHERE content_hash = ?`,
-		string(contentHash),
-	).Scan(&recordedSize)
-
-	switch {
-	case errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows):
-		return c.removeUntrackedSourceFile(ctx, path, contentHash)
-	case err != nil:
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check source content row: %w", err)
-	case info.Size() > 0 && info.Size() == recordedSize:
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// The file is empty, or not the size its row records
-	c.log.Warn("removing damaged cached source file", "path", path,
-		"file_bytes", info.Size(), "recorded_bytes", recordedSize)
-
-	return c.evictSourceBlob(ctx, contentHash)
-}
-
 // removeUntrackedSourceFile deletes a source blob file that has no
 // source_content row. Any source_metadata rows referencing the hash
 // are removed first so no row ever points at a deleted file.
 func (c *Cache) removeUntrackedSourceFile(
 	ctx context.Context, path string, contentHash ContentHash,
 ) error {
-	_, err := c.db.ExecContext(ctx,
+	var rowExists int
+
+	err := c.db.QueryRowContext(ctx,
+		`SELECT COUNT(*) FROM source_content WHERE content_hash = ?`, string(contentHash),
+	).Scan(&rowExists)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check source content row: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if rowExists > 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	_, err = c.db.ExecContext(ctx,
 		`DELETE FROM source_metadata WHERE content_hash = ?`, string(contentHash))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete metadata rows for untracked blob: %w", err)

internal/imgcache/negative_cache_internal_test.go

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package imgcache
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"strconv"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -94,6 +95,307 @@ func TestNegativeCache_Expired(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestService_Get_ServesCachedVariantOfNegativeCachedURL caches a variant of
+// the test photo, then keeps a failed fetch of the photo's URL in the negative
+// cache, as a failed fetch for another variant does once the source has been
+// evicted. The cached variant is still served, and a variant not in the cache
+// is made from the cached source. Once the source is evicted, a variant not in
+// the cache needs a fetch and is refused.
+func TestService_Get_ServesCachedVariantOfNegativeCachedURL(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	svc, fixtures := SetupTestService(t)
+
+	resp, err := svc.Get(t.Context(), photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Get() first request error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_ = resp.Content.Close()
+
+	err = svc.cache.StoreNegative(t.Context(), photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover),
+		httpStatusBadGateway, "upstream answered 503")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("StoreNegative() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	resp, err = svc.Get(t.Context(), photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Get() of the cached variant error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_ = resp.Content.Close()
+
+	if resp.CacheStatus != CacheHit {
+		t.Errorf("cached variant CacheStatus = %q, want %q",
+			resp.CacheStatus, CacheHit)
+	}
+
+	resp, err = svc.Get(t.Context(), photoVariant(fixtures, 40, FitCover))
+	t.Logf("Get() of a variant made from the cached source: error = %v", err)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Get() of a variant made from the cached source error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_ = resp.Content.Close()
+
+	contentHash, _, err := svc.cache.LookupSource(t.Context(),
+		photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover))
+	if err != nil || contentHash == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("LookupSource() = %q, %v, want the cached source", contentHash, err)
+	}
+
+	err = svc.cache.evictSourceBlob(t.Context(), contentHash)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("evictSourceBlob() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = svc.Get(t.Context(), photoVariant(fixtures, 60, FitCover))
+	t.Logf("Get() of a variant whose source was evicted: error = %v", err)
+
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrNegativeCached) {
+		t.Errorf("Get() of a variant whose source was evicted error = %v, want %v",
+			err, ErrNegativeCached)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestEvictionLoopRemovesExpiredNegativeCacheRows stores a failed fetch
+// that expires a second later and starts the eviction loop with a short
+// interval: a later tick must remove its row although its URL is never
+// requested again, and must keep a row that has not expired. It runs
+// with the disk cache enabled and disabled, as the negative cache is
+// used either way.
+func TestEvictionLoopRemovesExpiredNegativeCacheRows(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name             string
+		disableDiskCache bool
+	}{
+		{name: "disk cache enabled", disableDiskCache: false},
+		{name: "disk cache disabled", disableDiskCache: true},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			cache, err := NewCache(evictionTestDB(t), CacheConfig{
+				StateDir:         t.TempDir(),
+				NegativeTTL:      time.Second,
+				DisableDiskCache: tt.disableDiskCache,
+			})
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to create cache: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			expired := &ImageRequest{
+				SourceHost: testHostExample, SourcePath: "/gone.jpg",
+			}
+
+			err = cache.StoreNegative(t.Context(), expired, 404, "not found")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("StoreNegative failed: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			const notExpiredPath = "/later.jpg"
+
+			_, err = cache.db.ExecContext(t.Context(), `
+				INSERT INTO negative_cache
+					(source_host, source_path, status_code, expires_at)
+				VALUES (?, ?, 404, datetime('now', '+1 hour'))
+			`, testHostExample, notExpiredPath)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to insert a row that has not expired: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			started := time.Now()
+
+			cache.StartEviction(100 * time.Millisecond)
+			defer func() { _ = cache.StopEviction(t.Context()) }()
+
+			for negativeCacheRowCount(t, cache, expired.SourcePath) > 0 {
+				if time.Since(started) > 10*time.Second {
+					t.Fatal("the expired row is still in negative_cache")
+				}
+
+				time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+			}
+
+			t.Logf("the expired row was removed %s after the loop started",
+				time.Since(started))
+
+			if negativeCacheRowCount(t, cache, notExpiredPath) != 1 {
+				t.Error("the row that has not expired was removed")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// negativeCacheRowCount returns how many negative_cache rows hold
+// sourcePath.
+func negativeCacheRowCount(tb testing.TB, cache *Cache, sourcePath string) int {
+	tb.Helper()
+
+	var count int
+
+	err := cache.db.QueryRowContext(tb.Context(),
+		`SELECT COUNT(*) FROM negative_cache WHERE source_path = ?`,
+		sourcePath,
+	).Scan(&count)
+	if err != nil {
+		tb.Fatalf("failed to count negative_cache rows: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return count
+}
+
+// TestCleanExpiredDeletesInBatches stores one expired negative cache row
+// more than one batch holds, and one row that has not expired. One
+// statement must delete one batch and no more, so a request waits behind
+// one batch at most; CleanExpired must then remove the expired row left
+// over and keep the row that has not expired.
+func TestCleanExpiredDeletesInBatches(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cache, err := NewCache(evictionTestDB(t), CacheConfig{StateDir: t.TempDir()})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create cache: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	ctx := t.Context()
+
+	insertExpiredNegativeCacheRows(t, cache, cleanExpiredBatchSize+1)
+
+	const notExpiredPath = "/later.jpg"
+
+	_, err = cache.db.ExecContext(ctx, `
+		INSERT INTO negative_cache
+			(source_host, source_path, status_code, expires_at)
+		VALUES (?, ?, 404, datetime('now', '+1 hour'))
+	`, testHostExample, notExpiredPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to insert a row that has not expired: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	deleted, err := cache.cleanExpiredBatch(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("cleanExpiredBatch failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	t.Logf("one statement deleted %d of %d expired rows",
+		deleted, cleanExpiredBatchSize+1)
+
+	if deleted != cleanExpiredBatchSize {
+		t.Errorf("one statement deleted %d rows, want %d",
+			deleted, cleanExpiredBatchSize)
+	}
+
+	err = cache.CleanExpired(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CleanExpired failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if count := negativeCacheTableRowCount(t, cache); count != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("negative_cache holds %d rows after CleanExpired, want 1", count)
+	}
+
+	if negativeCacheRowCount(t, cache, notExpiredPath) != 1 {
+		t.Error("the row that has not expired was removed")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCleanExpiredRemovesMoreThanOneBatch stores one expired negative
+// cache row more than one batch holds and calls CleanExpired once: it
+// must remove them all, so it fails if CleanExpired stops after its
+// first batch.
+func TestCleanExpiredRemovesMoreThanOneBatch(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cache, err := NewCache(evictionTestDB(t), CacheConfig{StateDir: t.TempDir()})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create cache: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	insertExpiredNegativeCacheRows(t, cache, cleanExpiredBatchSize+1)
+
+	before := negativeCacheTableRowCount(t, cache)
+
+	err = cache.CleanExpired(t.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CleanExpired failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	after := negativeCacheTableRowCount(t, cache)
+
+	t.Logf("CleanExpired removed %d of %d expired rows, %d per batch",
+		before-after, before, cleanExpiredBatchSize)
+
+	if after != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("negative_cache holds %d rows after CleanExpired, want 0", after)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCleanExpiredStopsOnceContextEnds runs CleanExpired with a context
+// that has already ended: it must return the context's error and delete
+// no row.
+func TestCleanExpiredStopsOnceContextEnds(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cache, err := NewCache(evictionTestDB(t), CacheConfig{StateDir: t.TempDir()})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create cache: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	insertExpiredNegativeCacheRows(t, cache, 1)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(t.Context())
+	cancel()
+
+	err = cache.CleanExpired(ctx)
+	if !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+		t.Errorf("CleanExpired() error = %v, want context.Canceled", err)
+	}
+
+	if count := negativeCacheTableRowCount(t, cache); count != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("negative_cache holds %d rows, want the expired row kept", count)
+	}
+}
+
+// insertExpiredNegativeCacheRows inserts count negative_cache rows that
+// expired an hour ago, each for a different source path.
+func insertExpiredNegativeCacheRows(t *testing.T, cache *Cache, count int) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	for i := range count {
+		_, err := cache.db.ExecContext(t.Context(), `
+			INSERT INTO negative_cache
+				(source_host, source_path, status_code, expires_at)
+			VALUES (?, ?, 404, datetime('now', '-1 hour'))
+		`, testHostExample, "/expired/"+strconv.Itoa(i)+".jpg")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to insert an expired row: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// negativeCacheTableRowCount returns how many rows negative_cache holds.
+func negativeCacheTableRowCount(tb testing.TB, cache *Cache) int {
+	tb.Helper()
+
+	var count int
+
+	err := cache.db.QueryRowContext(tb.Context(),
+		`SELECT COUNT(*) FROM negative_cache`,
+	).Scan(&count)
+	if err != nil {
+		tb.Fatalf("failed to count negative_cache rows: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return count
+}
+
 func TestService_Get_ReturnsErrorForNegativeCachedURL(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 

internal/imgcache/partial_cache_files_internal_test.go

@@ -1,359 +0,0 @@
-package imgcache
-
-import (
-	"bytes"
-	"crypto/sha256"
-	"encoding/hex"
-	"io"
-	"log/slog"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
-	"testing"
-)
-
-// getImage calls Get for req and returns the image it answered with and
-// its cache status.
-func getImage(t *testing.T, svc *Service, req *ImageRequest) ([]byte, CacheStatus) {
-	t.Helper()
-
-	resp, err := svc.Get(t.Context(), req)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Get() of quality %d error = %v", req.Quality, err)
-	}
-
-	defer func() { _ = resp.Content.Close() }()
-
-	body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Content)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("reading the image of quality %d: %v", req.Quality, err)
-	}
-
-	return body, resp.CacheStatus
-}
-
-// fileSize returns the size of the file at path.
-func fileSize(t *testing.T, path string) int64 {
-	t.Helper()
-
-	info, err := os.Stat(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("stat %s: %v", path, err)
-	}
-
-	return info.Size()
-}
-
-// truncateFile cuts the file at path down to size bytes.
-func truncateFile(t *testing.T, path string, size int64) {
-	t.Helper()
-
-	t.Logf("cutting %s from %d to %d bytes",
-		filepath.Base(path), fileSize(t, path), size)
-
-	err := os.Truncate(path, size)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("truncating %s: %v", path, err)
-	}
-}
-
-// cachedSourcePath returns the path of the cached source file req uses.
-func cachedSourcePath(t *testing.T, svc *Service, req *ImageRequest) string {
-	t.Helper()
-
-	contentHash, _, err := svc.cache.LookupSource(t.Context(), req)
-	if err != nil || contentHash == "" {
-		t.Fatalf("LookupSource() = %q, %v; want the cached source", contentHash, err)
-	}
-
-	return svc.cache.srcContent.hashToPath(contentHash)
-}
-
-// reconcileAsAtStartup runs the cache's reconciliation pass, as pixa does
-// when it starts, and returns what the pass logged.
-func reconcileAsAtStartup(t *testing.T, cache *Cache) string {
-	t.Helper()
-
-	var logBuf bytes.Buffer
-
-	cache.log = slog.New(slog.NewJSONHandler(&logBuf, nil))
-
-	err := cache.reconcileAccounting(t.Context())
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("reconcileAccounting() error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	t.Logf("reconciliation log: %s", logBuf.String())
-
-	return logBuf.String()
-}
-
-// assertWarningNames checks that logs hold a warning naming the file at
-// path.
-func assertWarningNames(t *testing.T, logs, path string) {
-	t.Helper()
-
-	for line := range strings.Lines(logs) {
-		if strings.Contains(line, `"level":"WARN"`) &&
-			strings.Contains(line, `"path":"`+path+`"`) {
-			return
-		}
-	}
-
-	t.Errorf("reconciliation logged no warning naming %s", path)
-}
-
-// TestService_Get_FetchesAgainForEmptyCachedSource empties the cached source
-// file, as a crash or a restored snapshot could, and runs the reconciliation
-// pass, which must remove it with a warning naming it. It then asks for two
-// new sizes of the source: the first must fetch it again and cache it whole,
-// so that the second is made from the cache without a third fetch.
-func TestService_Get_FetchesAgainForEmptyCachedSource(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	svc, fixtures := SetupTestService(t)
-
-	getImage(t, svc, photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover))
-
-	path := cachedSourcePath(t, svc, photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover))
-	wholeSize := fileSize(t, path)
-
-	truncateFile(t, path, 0)
-	assertWarningNames(t, reconcileAsAtStartup(t, svc.cache), path)
-
-	getImage(t, svc, photoVariant(fixtures, 40, FitCover))
-	getImage(t, svc, photoVariant(fixtures, 30, FitCover))
-
-	fetches := readCacheStatsCounters(t, svc.cache).upstreamFetchCount
-	t.Logf("upstream fetches = %d", fetches)
-
-	if fetches != 2 {
-		t.Errorf("upstream fetches = %d, want 2: the empty cached source "+
-			"was kept and fetched again on every new size", fetches)
-	}
-
-	size := fileSize(t, path)
-	if size != wholeSize {
-		t.Errorf("cached source is %d bytes, want %d", size, wholeSize)
-	}
-}
-
-// TestService_Get_FetchesAgainForPartialCachedSource cuts the cached source
-// file to half its size, as a crash or a restored snapshot could, and runs
-// the reconciliation pass, which must remove it with a warning naming it.
-// It then asks for two new sizes of the source: the first must fetch it
-// again rather than fail to decode the partial file, and the second is
-// made from the cache.
-func TestService_Get_FetchesAgainForPartialCachedSource(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	svc, fixtures := SetupTestService(t)
-
-	getImage(t, svc, photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover))
-
-	path := cachedSourcePath(t, svc, photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover))
-	wholeSize := fileSize(t, path)
-
-	truncateFile(t, path, wholeSize/2)
-	assertWarningNames(t, reconcileAsAtStartup(t, svc.cache), path)
-
-	getImage(t, svc, photoVariant(fixtures, 40, FitCover))
-	getImage(t, svc, photoVariant(fixtures, 30, FitCover))
-
-	fetches := readCacheStatsCounters(t, svc.cache).upstreamFetchCount
-	t.Logf("upstream fetches = %d", fetches)
-
-	if fetches != 2 {
-		t.Errorf("upstream fetches = %d, want 2", fetches)
-	}
-
-	size := fileSize(t, path)
-	if size != wholeSize {
-		t.Errorf("cached source is %d bytes, want %d", size, wholeSize)
-	}
-}
-
-// assertConvertedAgain caches a variant of the photo, cuts its file to size
-// bytes and runs the reconciliation pass, which must remove it with a
-// warning naming it. It then checks that Get converts the image again
-// instead of serving the file, and that the next Get serves the whole
-// variant from the cache.
-func assertConvertedAgain(t *testing.T, size int64) {
-	t.Helper()
-
-	svc, fixtures := SetupTestService(t)
-	req := photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover)
-
-	want, _ := getImage(t, svc, req)
-
-	path := svc.cache.variants.keyToPath(CacheKey(req))
-
-	truncateFile(t, path, size)
-	assertWarningNames(t, reconcileAsAtStartup(t, svc.cache), path)
-
-	got, status := getImage(t, svc, req)
-	t.Logf("after the cut: %d bytes, %s", len(got), status)
-
-	if status != CacheMiss || !bytes.Equal(got, want) {
-		t.Errorf("after the cut: Get() = %d bytes, %s; want the %d bytes "+
-			"converted again, %s", len(got), status, len(want), CacheMiss)
-	}
-
-	got, status = getImage(t, svc, req)
-	t.Logf("next request: %d bytes, %s", len(got), status)
-
-	if status != CacheHit || !bytes.Equal(got, want) {
-		t.Errorf("next request: Get() = %d bytes, %s; want the %d bytes, %s",
-			len(got), status, len(want), CacheHit)
-	}
-}
-
-// TestService_Get_ConvertsAgainForEmptyCachedVariant empties a cached
-// variant file, as a crash or a restored snapshot could, and checks that it
-// is converted again rather than served empty.
-func TestService_Get_ConvertsAgainForEmptyCachedVariant(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	assertConvertedAgain(t, 0)
-}
-
-// TestService_Get_ConvertsAgainForPartialCachedVariant cuts a cached
-// variant file to ten bytes, as a crash or a restored snapshot could, and
-// checks that it is converted again rather than served cut short.
-func TestService_Get_ConvertsAgainForPartialCachedVariant(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	assertConvertedAgain(t, 10)
-}
-
-// TestReconciliationRemovesEmptyVariantFileWithoutRow checks that the
-// reconciliation pass removes an empty variant file that has no
-// accounting row, with a warning naming it, instead of adding a row for
-// it that would have it served empty.
-func TestReconciliationRemovesEmptyVariantFileWithoutRow(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	cache, _ := newEvictionTestCache(t, 1<<30)
-
-	_, err := cache.variants.Store(testVariantKeyOne, bytes.NewReader(nil),
-		testContentTypeWebP)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("failed to store an empty variant file: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	logs := reconcileAsAtStartup(t, cache)
-
-	assertWarningNames(t, logs, cache.variants.keyToPath(testVariantKeyOne))
-
-	if cache.variants.Exists(testVariantKeyOne) {
-		t.Error("the empty variant file is still on disk")
-	}
-
-	rows := countRows(t, cache,
-		`SELECT COUNT(*) FROM variant_content WHERE cache_key = ?`,
-		string(testVariantKeyOne))
-	if rows != 0 {
-		t.Errorf("the empty variant file got %d accounting rows, want 0", rows)
-	}
-}
-
-// TestVariantStorage_StoreReplacesMetaFile stores a variant over one
-// already stored and checks that Store puts a new .meta file in place of
-// the old one, as it does the image, rather than writing into the old
-// file, which a crash could leave empty. The old .meta file is given a
-// second name before the store, so that it can be told apart from the new
-// one after it.
-func TestVariantStorage_StoreReplacesMetaFile(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	storage, key := storeTestVariant(t)
-	metaPath := storage.keyToPath(key) + variantMetaSuffix
-	oldMetaPath := metaPath + ".old"
-
-	err := os.Link(metaPath, oldMetaPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("giving the .meta file a second name: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_, err = storage.Store(key, bytes.NewReader([]byte("new variant data")),
-		testContentTypeJPEG)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Store() error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	oldMeta, err := os.Stat(oldMetaPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("stat of the old .meta file: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	newMeta, err := os.Stat(metaPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("stat of the new .meta file: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	if os.SameFile(oldMeta, newMeta) {
-		t.Error("Store() wrote into the old .meta file instead of putting " +
-			"a new one in its place")
-	}
-
-	reader, _, contentType, err := storage.LoadWithMeta(key)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("LoadWithMeta() error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_ = reader.Close()
-
-	t.Logf("content type after the store: %s", contentType)
-
-	if contentType != testContentTypeJPEG {
-		t.Errorf("content type = %q, want %q", contentType, testContentTypeJPEG)
-	}
-}
-
-// TestContentStorage_StoreHashedReplacesFileOfAnotherSize checks that a
-// store over a file of another size at the content's path, such as a
-// partial file a crash left, replaces it with the content.
-func TestContentStorage_StoreHashedReplacesFileOfAnotherSize(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	storage, err := NewContentStorage(t.TempDir())
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("NewContentStorage() error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	content := []byte("the whole source image")
-	sum := sha256.Sum256(content)
-	hash := ContentHash(hex.EncodeToString(sum[:]))
-	path := storage.hashToPath(hash)
-
-	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), StorageDirPerm)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("creating the content's directory: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	err = os.WriteFile(path, content[:5], StorageFilePerm)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("writing a partial file: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_, err = storage.StoreHashed(hash, content)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("StoreHashed() error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	stored, err := storage.Load(hash)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Load() error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	defer func() { _ = stored.Close() }()
-
-	got, err := io.ReadAll(stored)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("reading the stored content: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	if !bytes.Equal(got, content) {
-		t.Errorf("stored file = %q, want %q", got, content)
-	}
-}

internal/imgcache/service.go

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"log/slog"
 	"net/url"
 	"runtime/debug"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/dustin/go-humanize"
@@ -129,25 +130,13 @@ func NewService(cfg *ServiceConfig) (*Service, error) {
 var ErrNegativeCached = errors.New("request is in negative cache (recently failed)")
 
 // Get retrieves a processed image, fetching and processing if necessary.
+// While its source URL is in the negative cache, a cached variant is still
+// served and a variant not in the cache is still made from a cached source;
+// only a request that needs the source fetched is refused.
 func (s *Service) Get(ctx context.Context, req *ImageRequest) (*ImageResponse, error) {
 	// Propagate AllowHTTP setting to the request
 	req.AllowHTTP = s.allowHTTP
 
-	// Check negative cache first - skip fetching for recently-failed URLs
-	negHit, err := s.cache.checkNegativeCache(ctx, req)
-	if err != nil {
-		s.log.Warn("negative cache check failed", "error", err)
-	}
-
-	if negHit {
-		s.log.Debug("negative cache hit",
-			"host", req.SourceHost,
-			"path", req.SourcePath,
-		)
-
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", httpfetcher.ErrUpstreamError, ErrNegativeCached)
-	}
-
 	// Check variant cache first (disk only, no DB)
 	result, err := s.cache.Lookup(ctx, req)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -218,7 +207,16 @@ func (s *Service) ValidateRequest(req *ImageRequest) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid source URL: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if s.allowlist.IsAllowed(parsedURL) {
+	// An allowlist entry names no port, so a host followed by ":", with or
+	// without a port, needs a signature. The port is read from the parsed
+	// URL, as the fetcher reads it: in an IPv6 address written without
+	// brackets, such as 2001:db8::1:8443, it is what follows the last ":".
+	// This is checked here and not in allowlist.IsAllowed, which also matches
+	// referer_blocklist, where a Referer must be blocked whatever its port.
+	hostHasPort := parsedURL.Port() != "" ||
+		strings.HasSuffix(parsedURL.Host, ":")
+
+	if !hostHasPort && s.allowlist.IsAllowed(parsedURL) {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -423,12 +421,28 @@ func (s *Service) processFromSourceOrFetch(
 
 // fetchAndProcess fetches from upstream, processes, and caches the result.
 // It counts the fetch with the bytes read from upstream, including when
-// reading the response or a later step fails.
+// reading the response or a later step fails. It fetches nothing while the
+// source URL is in the negative cache.
 func (s *Service) fetchAndProcess(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	req *ImageRequest,
 	cacheKey VariantKey,
 ) (*processedVariant, error) {
+	// Check negative cache - skip fetching for recently-failed URLs
+	negHit, err := s.cache.checkNegativeCache(ctx, req)
+	if err != nil {
+		s.log.Warn("negative cache check failed", "error", err)
+	}
+
+	if negHit {
+		s.log.Debug("negative cache hit",
+			"host", req.SourceHost,
+			"path", req.SourcePath,
+		)
+
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", httpfetcher.ErrUpstreamError, ErrNegativeCached)
+	}
+
 	// Fetch from upstream
 	sourceURL := req.SourceURL()
 

internal/imgcache/service_internal_test.go

@@ -250,6 +250,97 @@ func TestService_ValidateRequest_SignatureExactHostMatch(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestService_ValidateRequest_HostWithPortNeedsSignature verifies that a host
+// followed by a port, or by a colon with no port, matches no allowlist entry,
+// so that a request for it without a signature is refused, while the same
+// host with no port is allowlisted.
+func TestService_ValidateRequest_HostWithPortNeedsSignature(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	svc, _ := SetupTestService(t,
+		WithSigningKey(testSigningKey),
+		WithAllowlist(testHostCDN, "203.0.113.5", "2001:db8::1"),
+	)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		host        string
+		allowlisted bool
+	}{
+		{testHostCDN, true},
+		{"cdn.example.com:8443", false},
+		{"cdn.example.com:443", false},
+		{"cdn.example.com:", false},
+		{"203.0.113.5", true},
+		{"203.0.113.5:8080", false},
+		{"[2001:db8::1]", true},
+		{"[2001:db8::1]:8443", false},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.host, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			req := &ImageRequest{
+				SourceHost: tt.host,
+				SourcePath: testPathCat,
+				Size:       Size{Width: 50, Height: 50},
+				Format:     FormatJPEG,
+				Quality:    85,
+				FitMode:    FitCover,
+			}
+
+			err := svc.ValidateRequest(req)
+			t.Logf("ValidateRequest() for host %q with no signature: %v",
+				tt.host, err)
+
+			if allowlisted := err == nil; allowlisted != tt.allowlisted {
+				t.Errorf("host %q served without a signature = %v, want %v",
+					tt.host, allowlisted, tt.allowlisted)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestService_ValidateRequest_UnbracketedIPv6PortNeedsSignature verifies that
+// an allowlisted IPv6 address written without brackets and followed by a
+// port, or by a colon with no port, needs a signature. Go's URL parser, which
+// the fetcher uses, reads 2001:db8::1:8443 as the host 2001:db8::1 with the
+// port 8443.
+func TestService_ValidateRequest_UnbracketedIPv6PortNeedsSignature(
+	t *testing.T,
+) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	svc, _ := SetupTestService(t,
+		WithSigningKey(testSigningKey),
+		WithAllowlist("2001:db8::1"),
+	)
+
+	for _, host := range []string{"2001:db8::1:8443", "2001:db8::1:"} {
+		t.Run(host, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			req := &ImageRequest{
+				SourceHost: host,
+				SourcePath: testPathCat,
+				Size:       Size{Width: 50, Height: 50},
+				Format:     FormatJPEG,
+				Quality:    85,
+				FitMode:    FitCover,
+			}
+
+			err := svc.ValidateRequest(req)
+			t.Logf("ValidateRequest() for host %q with no signature: %v",
+				host, err)
+
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Errorf("host %q served without a signature, want refused",
+					host)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestService_Get_InvalidFile(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 

internal/imgcache/storage.go

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -79,8 +80,8 @@ func (s *ContentStorage) Store(r io.Reader) (ContentHash, int64, error) {
 // from hash, without recomputing it. Callers that already know the
 // hash before writing (e.g. because they must hold a hash-keyed lock
 // across the whole store operation) use this instead of Store. Like
-// Store, it is idempotent: a file of the content's size already at that
-// path is left untouched, and a file of another size is replaced.
+// Store, it is idempotent: content already on disk at that path is
+// left untouched.
 func (s *ContentStorage) StoreHashed(
 	hash ContentHash, data []byte,
 ) (int64, error) {
@@ -151,35 +152,28 @@ func (s *ContentStorage) Exists(hash ContentHash) bool {
 	return err == nil
 }
 
-// writeIfAbsent writes data with writeFileSynced to the path derived
-// from hash, unless a file of the data's size is already there.
+// writeIfAbsent writes data to the path derived from hash, unless
+// content already exists there, via a temp-file-plus-rename so
+// concurrent readers never observe a partial file.
 func (s *ContentStorage) writeIfAbsent(hash ContentHash, data []byte) error {
 	// Build path: <basedir>/<ab>/<cd>/<hash>
 	path := s.hashToPath(hash)
 
-	// A file of another size there is damaged, and is replaced
-	info, statErr := os.Stat(path)
-	if statErr == nil && info.Size() == int64(len(data)) {
+	// Check if already exists
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(path)
+	if statErr == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), StorageDirPerm)
+	// Create directory structure
+	dir := filepath.Dir(path)
+
+	err := os.MkdirAll(dir, StorageDirPerm)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create directory: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	return writeFileSynced(path, data)
-}
-
-// writeFileSynced writes data to path through a temp file in the same
-// directory: the temp file is synced to disk, renamed to path, and the
-// directory synced after, so that neither a concurrent reader nor a
-// crash finds a partial file under path. When the directory sync fails,
-// the file is removed from path, so that a failed write leaves no file
-// there.
-func writeFileSynced(path string, data []byte) error {
-	dir := filepath.Dir(path)
-
+	// Write to temp file first, then rename for atomicity
 	tmpFile, err := os.CreateTemp(dir, ".tmp-*")
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create temp file: %w", err)
@@ -187,20 +181,18 @@ func writeFileSynced(path string, data []byte) error {
 
 	tmpPath := tmpFile.Name()
 
+	// Each failure path below unlinks the temp file explicitly. This
+	// replaces a deferred cleanup that read a named result, which the
+	// canonical config does not permit; the set of paths that remove
+	// tmpPath, and the order relative to Close, is unchanged. This
+	// mirrors how MetadataStorage.Store and VariantStorage.Store below
+	// already express the same cleanup.
 	_, err = tmpFile.Write(data)
 	if err != nil {
 		_ = tmpFile.Close()
 		_ = os.Remove(tmpPath)
 
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write temp file: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	err = tmpFile.Sync()
-	if err != nil {
-		_ = tmpFile.Close()
-		_ = os.Remove(tmpPath)
-
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to sync temp file: %w", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write content: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	err = tmpFile.Close()
@@ -210,6 +202,7 @@ func writeFileSynced(path string, data []byte) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to close temp file: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// Atomic rename
 	err = os.Rename(filepath.Clean(tmpPath), filepath.Clean(path))
 	if err != nil {
 		_ = os.Remove(tmpPath)
@@ -217,31 +210,6 @@ func writeFileSynced(path string, data []byte) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to rename temp file: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	err = syncDirectory(dir)
-	if err != nil {
-		_ = os.Remove(path)
-
-		return err
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
-// syncDirectory syncs the directory dir to disk, so that a file just
-// renamed into it is still there after a crash.
-func syncDirectory(dir string) error {
-	d, err := os.Open(filepath.Clean(dir))
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to open directory: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	err = d.Sync()
-	_ = d.Close()
-
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to sync directory: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -404,11 +372,13 @@ func HashPath(path string) PathHash {
 
 // CacheKey generates a unique key for a request variant.
 // Format: sha256(host:path:query:width:height:format:quality:fit_mode)
+// The path and query go through escapePercentAndColon, so that a ":" in
+// either cannot be taken for the one between them.
 func CacheKey(req *ImageRequest) VariantKey {
 	data := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s:%s:%d:%d:%s:%d:%s",
 		req.SourceHost,
-		req.SourcePath,
-		req.SourceQuery,
+		escapePercentAndColon(req.SourcePath),
+		escapePercentAndColon(req.SourceQuery),
 		req.Size.Width,
 		req.Size.Height,
 		req.Format,
@@ -420,6 +390,14 @@ func CacheKey(req *ImageRequest) VariantKey {
 	return VariantKey(hex.EncodeToString(h[:]))
 }
 
+// escapePercentAndColon returns s with each "%" written as "%25" and each
+// ":" as "%3A", so that the result holds no ":".
+func escapePercentAndColon(s string) string {
+	s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, "%", "%25")
+
+	return strings.ReplaceAll(s, ":", "%3A")
+}
+
 // VariantStorage handles key-based file storage for processed image variants.
 // Files are stored at: <basedir>/<ab>/<cd>/<cache_key>
 // Metadata is stored at: <basedir>/<ab>/<cd>/<cache_key>.meta
@@ -449,9 +427,7 @@ func NewVariantStorage(baseDir string, log *slog.Logger) (*VariantStorage, error
 	return &VariantStorage{baseDir: baseDir, log: log}, nil
 }
 
-// Store writes content and metadata to storage at the given key, each
-// with writeFileSynced. The .meta file is written first, so that a crash
-// cannot leave the content in place without it.
+// Store writes content and metadata to storage at the given key.
 func (s *VariantStorage) Store(
 	key VariantKey, r io.Reader, contentType string,
 ) (int64, error) {
@@ -464,11 +440,46 @@ func (s *VariantStorage) Store(
 	path := s.keyToPath(key)
 	metaPath := path + ".meta"
 
-	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), StorageDirPerm)
+	// Create directory structure
+	dir := filepath.Dir(path)
+
+	err = os.MkdirAll(dir, StorageDirPerm)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to create directory: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// Write content to temp file first, then rename for atomicity
+	tmpFile, err := os.CreateTemp(dir, ".tmp-*")
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to create temp file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	tmpPath := tmpFile.Name()
+
+	_, err = tmpFile.Write(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		_ = tmpFile.Close()
+		_ = os.Remove(tmpPath)
+
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to write content: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	err = tmpFile.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		_ = os.Remove(tmpPath)
+
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to close temp file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Atomic rename content
+	err = os.Rename(filepath.Clean(tmpPath), filepath.Clean(path))
+	if err != nil {
+		_ = os.Remove(tmpPath)
+
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to rename temp file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Write metadata
 	meta := VariantMeta{
 		ContentType: contentType,
 		Size:        size,
@@ -480,19 +491,13 @@ func (s *VariantStorage) Store(
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal metadata: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Metadata write failure is non-fatal: the content is then served as
-	// application/octet-stream.
-	err = writeFileSynced(metaPath, metaData)
+	// Metadata write failure is non-fatal; content is already stored.
+	err = os.WriteFile(metaPath, metaData, StorageFilePerm)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.log.Warn("failed to write variant metadata sidecar",
 			"path", metaPath, "error", err)
 	}
 
-	err = writeFileSynced(path, data)
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, err
-	}
-
 	return size, nil
 }
 

internal/imgcache/storage_internal_test.go

@@ -407,6 +407,62 @@ func TestCacheKey(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestCacheKey_ColonOrPercentInPathOrQuery checks that two different source
+// URLs whose path or query holds ":" or "%" get different keys.
+func TestCacheKey_ColonOrPercentInPathOrQuery(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cases := []struct {
+		name          string
+		path1, query1 string
+		path2, query2 string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:  "colon moved from path to query",
+			path1: "/a:b", query1: "",
+			path2: "/a", query2: "b:",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "colon in path and its percent-encoding",
+			path1: "/a:b", query1: "",
+			path2: "/a%3Ab", query2: "",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range cases {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			key1 := CacheKey(&ImageRequest{
+				SourceHost:  testHostCDN,
+				SourcePath:  tt.path1,
+				SourceQuery: tt.query1,
+				Size:        Size{Width: 800, Height: 600},
+				Format:      FormatWebP,
+				Quality:     85,
+				FitMode:     FitCover,
+			})
+			key2 := CacheKey(&ImageRequest{
+				SourceHost:  testHostCDN,
+				SourcePath:  tt.path2,
+				SourceQuery: tt.query2,
+				Size:        Size{Width: 800, Height: 600},
+				Format:      FormatWebP,
+				Quality:     85,
+				FitMode:     FitCover,
+			})
+
+			t.Logf("CacheKey() of path %q query %q = %s", tt.path1, tt.query1, key1)
+			t.Logf("CacheKey() of path %q query %q = %s", tt.path2, tt.query2, key2)
+
+			if key1 == key2 {
+				t.Errorf("CacheKey() gave path %q query %q and path %q query %q "+
+					"the same key", tt.path1, tt.query1, tt.path2, tt.query2)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // TestVariantStorage_StoreLogsFailedMetaWrite verifies that a .meta write
 // that fails is logged at warn and the store still succeeds.
 func TestVariantStorage_StoreLogsFailedMetaWrite(t *testing.T) {

internal/imgcache/urlparser.go

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	ErrInvalidPath       = errors.New("invalid image path")
 	ErrMissingHost       = errors.New("missing source host")
+	ErrInvalidHost       = errors.New("invalid source host")
 	ErrMissingSize       = errors.New("missing size specification")
 	ErrInvalidSize       = errors.New("invalid size format")
 	ErrInvalidFormat     = errors.New("invalid or unsupported format")
@@ -143,6 +144,17 @@ func parseImageComponents(remainder string) (*ParsedURL, error) {
 		return nil, ErrMissingHost
 	}
 
+	// A URL reads what comes before "@" as a user name and password, and the
+	// rest as the host
+	if strings.Contains(host, "@") {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %q holds @", ErrInvalidHost, host)
+	}
+
+	// Host names do not depend on letter case, so the allowlist, the upstream
+	// connection limits, the cache and the signature see one spelling of each
+	// host
+	host = strings.ToLower(host)
+
 	// Extract query string if present in path
 	if qIndex := strings.Index(path, "?"); qIndex != -1 {
 		query = path[qIndex+1:]

internal/imgcache/urlparser_internal_test.go

@@ -234,6 +234,49 @@ func TestParseImagePath(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestParseImagePath_LowerCasesHost verifies that the host is lower-cased, so
+// that every spelling of its letter case is the same host to the allowlist,
+// the upstream connection limits and the cache, and that the path keeps its
+// case.
+func TestParseImagePath_LowerCasesHost(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	got, err := ParseImagePath("CDN.Example.COM/Photos/Cat.jpg/800x600.webp")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ParseImagePath() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	t.Logf("parsed host %q, path %q", got.Host, got.Path)
+
+	if got.Host != testHostCDN {
+		t.Errorf("Host = %q, want %q", got.Host, testHostCDN)
+	}
+
+	if got.Path != "/Photos/Cat.jpg" {
+		t.Errorf("Path = %q, want %q", got.Path, "/Photos/Cat.jpg")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestParseImagePath_RefusesUserinfo verifies that a host holding "@" is
+// refused: a URL reads what comes before the "@" as a user name and password
+// and the rest as the host.
+func TestParseImagePath_RefusesUserinfo(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	for _, input := range []string{
+		"user@cdn.example.com/photos/cat.jpg/800x600.webp",
+		"user:password@cdn.example.com/photos/cat.jpg/800x600.webp",
+	} {
+		got, err := ParseImagePath(input)
+		t.Logf("ParseImagePath(%q) = %+v, error = %v", input, got, err)
+
+		if !errors.Is(err, ErrInvalidHost) {
+			t.Errorf("ParseImagePath(%q) error = %v, want %v",
+				input, err, ErrInvalidHost)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestParsedURL_ToImageRequest(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 

internal/signature/escaping_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+package signature_test
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/signature"
+)
+
+// TestSigner_Verify_ColonCannotMovePathQueryBoundary checks that a URL
+// signed for path "/a:b" with no query does not verify for path "/a" with
+// query "b:", a different resource on the same host.
+func TestSigner_Verify_ColonCannotMovePathQueryBoundary(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	signer := signature.New(goldenSigningKey)
+
+	signed := &signature.Request{
+		SourceHost: testHost,
+		SourcePath: "/a:b",
+		Width:      800,
+		Height:     600,
+		Format:     testFormatWebP,
+		Quality:    85,
+		FitMode:    testFitCover,
+		Expires:    time.Now().Add(1 * time.Hour),
+	}
+	signed.Signature = signer.Sign(signed)
+
+	replayed := *signed
+	replayed.SourcePath = "/a"
+	replayed.SourceQuery = "b:"
+
+	t.Logf("signature for path %q query %q: %s",
+		signed.SourcePath, signed.SourceQuery, signed.Signature)
+	t.Logf("signature for path %q query %q: %s",
+		replayed.SourcePath, replayed.SourceQuery, signer.Sign(&replayed))
+
+	err := signer.Verify(&replayed)
+	if !errors.Is(err, signature.ErrInvalid) {
+		t.Errorf("Verify() of path %q query %q with the signature for "+
+			"path %q = %v, want %v",
+			replayed.SourcePath, replayed.SourceQuery, signed.SourcePath,
+			err, signature.ErrInvalid)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestSigner_EscapedGoldenVectors pins the signature of requests whose path
+// or query holds ":" or "%", which are signed with "%" written as "%25" and
+// ":" as "%3A". The expected values were computed once, outside pixa, from
+// the signed data in each comment.
+func TestSigner_EscapedGoldenVectors(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	signer := signature.New(goldenSigningKey)
+
+	vectors := []struct {
+		name          string
+		path          string
+		query         string
+		wantSignature string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "colon in path",
+			path: "/photos/a:b.jpg",
+			// Signed data:
+			// "cdn.example.com:/photos/a%3Ab.jpg::800:600:webp:1704067200:85:cover"
+			wantSignature: "WnEpZ7bQp1Zvw8WDatlj2vu-4wYKWE3BFBizV8m__6k=",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "colon in query",
+			path:  testPath,
+			query: "t=1:2",
+			// Signed data:
+			// "cdn.example.com:/photos/cat.jpg:t=1%3A2:800:600:webp:1704067200:85:cover"
+			wantSignature: "85kRoN8hhr4cCUkEUjNvUsvVYKjYYfWdeffx5TjJjqA=",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "percent in path and query",
+			path:  "/photos/a%20b.jpg",
+			query: "q=50%",
+			// Signed data:
+			// "cdn.example.com:/photos/a%2520b.jpg:q=50%25:800:600:webp:1704067200:85:cover"
+			wantSignature: "MjDiiRdgXMrsjqPMsENtD4aG1hp1e-a6zy67vKTX4CQ=",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range vectors {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			req := &signature.Request{
+				SourceHost:  testHost,
+				SourcePath:  tt.path,
+				SourceQuery: tt.query,
+				Width:       800,
+				Height:      600,
+				Format:      testFormatWebP,
+				Quality:     85,
+				FitMode:     testFitCover,
+				Expires:     time.Unix(goldenExpiresUnix, 0),
+			}
+
+			gotSignature := signer.Sign(req)
+			t.Logf("Sign() of path %q query %q = %s", tt.path, tt.query, gotSignature)
+
+			if gotSignature != tt.wantSignature {
+				t.Errorf("Sign() = %q, want %q", gotSignature, tt.wantSignature)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}

internal/signature/signature.go

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -154,15 +155,17 @@ func (s *Signer) GenerateSignedURL(
 
 // buildSignatureData creates the string to be signed.
 // Format: "host:path:query:width:height:format:expiration:quality:fit"
-// All components are used verbatim (exact match). No normalization,
-// suffix matching, or wildcard expansion is performed. Quality and fit
-// are the effective transform values, so replaying a signed URL with a
-// different quality or fit mode fails verification.
+// The path and query go through escapePercentAndColon, so that a ":" in
+// either cannot be taken for the one between them; every other component
+// is used verbatim. No normalization, suffix matching, or wildcard
+// expansion is performed. Quality and fit are the effective transform
+// values, so replaying a signed URL with a different quality or fit mode
+// fails verification.
 func (s *Signer) buildSignatureData(req *Request) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s:%s:%d:%d:%s:%d:%d:%s",
 		req.SourceHost,
-		req.SourcePath,
-		req.SourceQuery,
+		escapePercentAndColon(req.SourcePath),
+		escapePercentAndColon(req.SourceQuery),
 		req.Width,
 		req.Height,
 		req.Format,
@@ -172,6 +175,14 @@ func (s *Signer) buildSignatureData(req *Request) string {
 	)
 }
 
+// escapePercentAndColon returns s with each "%" written as "%25" and each
+// ":" as "%3A", so that the result holds no ":".
+func escapePercentAndColon(s string) string {
+	s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, "%", "%25")
+
+	return strings.ReplaceAll(s, ":", "%3A")
+}
+
 // ParseParams extracts signature and expiration from query parameters.
 func ParseParams(sig, expStr string) (string, time.Time, error) {
 	if expStr == "" {