Limit each client's requests to the image routes (closes #236)

The new setting image_requests_per_minute (PIXA_IMAGE_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE),
default 600, caps the GET and HEAD requests one client sends to /v1/image/
and /v1/e/ per minute; the next is answered 429 with Retry-After. It uses
the login limit's RateLimit middleware, so clients are told apart the same
way, and sits in the image routes' group behind the CORS middleware, so a
preflight is not counted. 0 turns it off; a negative or non-integer value
stops startup.

TestEnvironmentSetsEveryKey gains the new variable, under the owner's
standing approval in #64. To stay
within the linters' limits, the sentry_dsn check moves unchanged into
validateSentryDSN, and the cache_max_bytes explicit flag is set in one
line.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ everything in this list without further settings. The reverse proxy must:
   builds encrypted URLs from `Host`, and checks `Referer` against
   `referer_blocklist`;
 - set `X-Forwarded-For` to the client's address, with `trusted_proxies` set to
-  the address pixa sees the proxy's requests come from, so the login limit
+  the address pixa sees the proxy's requests come from, so the login limit and
-  counts each client by its own address (see `trusted_proxies` under
+  `image_requests_per_minute` count each client by its own address (see
-  Configuration);
+  `trusted_proxies` under Configuration);
 - wait for pixa's answer for at least `downstream_timeout` (default `60s`), the
   longest pixa takes to fetch, convert and send an image.
 
@@ -58,8 +58,9 @@ password there.
 
 pixa does the rest itself: it checks signatures and encrypted URLs, applies the
 allowlist, refuses upstream hosts with private or local addresses, limits login
-attempts, upstream response size and image dimensions, and sends the security
+attempts, each client's image requests, upstream response size and image
-headers, `Strict-Transport-Security` included, with every response.
+dimensions, and sends the security headers, `Strict-Transport-Security`
+included, with every response.
 
 The state directory (`state_dir`, `/var/lib/pixa` in the container) holds the
 database and the disk cache:
@@ -186,10 +187,10 @@ path under `/v1/` answers 200, in maintenance mode too.
   `Referer` names a host in `referer_blocklist`, checked before the signature,
   the cache and the upstream fetch; 403 when the upstream host, or a host it
   redirects to, is `localhost`, ends in `.localhost` or `.local`, or has an
-  address in a blocked network (see `blocked_networks`); 502 when the upstream
+  address in a blocked network (see `blocked_networks`); 429 over
-  answered with an error status, and for 5 minutes after that for the same
+  `image_requests_per_minute` (below); 502 when the upstream answered with an
-  source URL; 503 when pixa is busy or in maintenance mode; 500 for any other
+  error status, and for 5 minutes after that for the same source URL; 503 when
-  failure.
+  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
@@ -197,7 +198,7 @@ path under `/v1/` answers 200, in maintenance mode too.
   expired; 504 when the upstream has not sent its response headers within
   `upstream_fetch_timeout`, but 500 when that time runs out while the image
   itself is still arriving; 400 for an `Accept` header that is not valid, and
-  406, 403, 502, 503 and 500, as for `/v1/image/`.
+  406, 403, 429, 502, 503 and 500, as for `/v1/image/`.
 - `GET /robots.txt` — asks every crawler to stay away (`Disallow: /`). Needs:
   nothing. Answers: 200.
 - `GET /.well-known/healthcheck.json` — JSON with `status` (`ok`), `now`,
@@ -313,6 +314,14 @@ its own `X-Forwarded-For`, whether it connects directly or through the proxy,
 because its own address is trusted too. Setting `trusted_proxies` to only the
 address pixa sees for requests that come through the proxy closes this.
 
+One client may send `image_requests_per_minute` requests per minute
+(default 600) to the image routes, `/v1/image/` and `/v1/e/` together, `GET` and
+`HEAD`, cache hits included; a request over the limit is refused with 429 and a
+`Retry-After` header. Clients are counted as for the login limit. A browser's
+CORS preflight is not counted. Behind a CDN or proxy whose addresses are not in
+`trusted_proxies`, every request counts as the same client, so such a deployment
+needs a higher limit, or `0`, which turns the limit off.
+
 ### Encrypted URLs
 
 An encrypted URL is an image URL made on pixa's own web page by someone who
@@ -482,6 +491,7 @@ tell. With no file, pixa uses the environment and the defaults.
 | `PIXA_UPSTREAM_CONNECTIONS_PER_HOST` | `upstream_connections_per_host` | Concurrent connections per upstream host; default `20`                       |
 | `PIXA_UPSTREAM_CONNECTIONS`          | `upstream_connections`          | Concurrent connections to all upstream hosts together; default `64`          |
 | `PIXA_MAX_CONCURRENT_PROCESSING`     | `max_concurrent_processing`     | Images processed at once; default the number of CPUs                         |
+| `PIXA_IMAGE_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE`     | `image_requests_per_minute`     | Image requests per client per minute; `0` turns it off; default `600`        |
 | `PIXA_UPSTREAM_FETCH_TIMEOUT`        | `upstream_fetch_timeout`        | Time allowed for one fetch from an upstream host; default `30s`              |
 | `PIXA_UPSTREAM_MAX_RESPONSE_SIZE`    | `upstream_max_response_size`    | Largest upstream response accepted, in bytes; default 50 MiB                 |
 | `PIXA_DOWNSTREAM_TIMEOUT`            | `downstream_timeout`            | Time allowed for answering one client request; default `60s`                 |
@@ -531,13 +541,13 @@ Key settings in more detail:
   explicit list replaces the default. An invalid CIDR aborts startup. Set this
   to the address pixa sees for requests that come through your proxy, such as
   `172.17.0.1/32`, when the defaults do not cover it, or to trust nothing else
-  (see the login limit under Routes). For a proxy on the Docker host that
+  (see the login limit and `image_requests_per_minute` under Routes). For a
-  connects to pixa over `127.0.0.1`, that address is the gateway of the
+  proxy on the Docker host that connects to pixa over `127.0.0.1`, that address
-  container's Docker network (`172.17.0.1` on the default bridge), not the
+  is the gateway of the container's Docker network (`172.17.0.1` on the default
-  proxy's own address; a proxy that connects through another of the host's
+  bridge), not the proxy's own address; a proxy that connects through another of
-  addresses is seen with that address. To be sure which address it is, set this
+  the host's addresses is seen with that address. To be sure which address it
-  to `[]` (or `PIXA_TRUSTED_PROXIES` to empty), send a request through the
+  is, set this to `[]` (or `PIXA_TRUSTED_PROXIES` to empty), send a request
-  proxy, and read `remoteIP` in pixa's request log line for it
+  through the proxy, and read `remoteIP` in pixa's request log line for it
 - `upstream_fetch_timeout` — time allowed for one fetch from an upstream host,
   as a duration such as `30s` (the default) or `2m`
 - `upstream_max_response_size` — largest upstream response accepted, in bytes;
@@ -570,6 +580,11 @@ Key settings in more detail:
   container's CPU limit. A request that finds all of them in use waits up to 10
   seconds for one to free up; if none does, and `downstream_timeout` has not
   ended first, it is answered 503 the same way
+- `image_requests_per_minute` — how many requests one client may send to the
+  image routes per minute (see the limit on them under Routes); default `600`.
+  `0` turns the limit off, and a negative or non-integer value aborts startup.
+  Behind a CDN or proxy whose addresses are not in `trusted_proxies`, every
+  request counts as the same client, so raise the limit there, or set `0`
 - `maintenance_mode` — while `true`, the image routes (`/v1/image/` and
   `/v1/e/`) answer every request for an image with 503, a `Retry-After` header
   and a JSON error body. The health check (`/.well-known/healthcheck.json`)

TODO.md

@@ -26,10 +26,18 @@ resolved. The disk cache is now size-bounded with LRU eviction
 
 # Next Step
 
-P2: security: per-IP rate limiting on the image routes
+P2: security: per-origin rate limiting
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-12 per-client limit on the image routes (closes #236): the new setting
+  `image_requests_per_minute` (`PIXA_IMAGE_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE`), default 600,
+  is how many `GET` and `HEAD` requests one client may send to `/v1/image/` and
+  `/v1/e/` together per minute, cache hits included; the next is answered 429
+  with `Retry-After`. It uses the login limit's `RateLimit` middleware, so
+  clients are told apart the same way, and runs after the CORS middleware, so a
+  preflight is not counted. `0` turns the limit off; a negative or non-integer
+  value aborts startup.
 - 2026-10-08 every output format is saved with settings pixa sets on purpose
   (closes #232): each format has its own govips export, as JPEG XL does, in
   place of govips' generic `Export`, which sent libvips a zero for some settings
@@ -736,8 +744,6 @@ P2: security: per-IP rate limiting on the image routes
 
 # Future Steps
 
-- P2: security
-    - per-origin rate limiting
 - P2: HTTP response handling
     - Last-Modified headers
 - P2: configuration

configs/config.example.yml

@@ -115,6 +115,14 @@ upstream_connections: 64
 # frees up it is answered 503, unless downstream_timeout has ended first.
 # max_concurrent_processing: 4
 
+# How many requests to the image routes (/v1/image/ and /v1/e/) one client
+# may send per minute; a request over the limit is answered 429 with a
+# Retry-After header. 0 turns the limit off. Clients are told apart as for
+# the login limit, so behind a CDN or proxy whose addresses are not in
+# trusted_proxies every request counts as the same client: raise the limit
+# there, or set 0. (default: 600)
+image_requests_per_minute: 600
+
 # Time allowed for one fetch from an upstream host (default: 30s)
 upstream_fetch_timeout: 30s
 

internal/config/config.go

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ const (
 	DefaultUpstreamFetchTimeout       = 30 * time.Second
 	DefaultUpstreamMaxResponseSize    = 50 << 20 // 50 MiB
 	DefaultDownstreamTimeout          = 60 * time.Second
+	DefaultImageRequestsPerMinute     = 600
 )
 
 // Configuration key names.
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ const (
 	keyUpstreamFetchTimeout       = "upstream_fetch_timeout"
 	keyUpstreamMaxResponseSize    = "upstream_max_response_size"
 	keyDownstreamTimeout          = "downstream_timeout"
+	keyImageRequestsPerMinute     = "image_requests_per_minute"
 )
 
 // placeholderSigningKey is the dummy signing_key shipped in
@@ -158,6 +160,11 @@ type Config struct {
 	// of the per-request timeout middleware.
 	DownstreamTimeout time.Duration
 
+	// ImageRequestsPerMinute is how many requests one client may make to
+	// the image routes per minute; the next is refused with 429 Too Many
+	// Requests. 0 turns the limit off.
+	ImageRequestsPerMinute int
+
 	// BlockedNetworks are operator-supplied CIDR ranges to refuse in
 	// addition to the built-in SSRF blocklist. Enforced by the upstream
 	// fetcher's dialer; the built-in ranges always apply.
@@ -302,6 +309,8 @@ func newFromSmartConfig(sc *smartconfig.Config) (*Config, error) {
 			keyAccessControlAllowOrigin, DefaultAccessControlAllowOrigin),
 		DownstreamTimeout: loader.durationVal(
 			keyDownstreamTimeout, DefaultDownstreamTimeout),
+		ImageRequestsPerMinute: loader.intVal(
+			keyImageRequestsPerMinute, DefaultImageRequestsPerMinute),
 		CacheMaxBytes:    loader.int64Val(keyCacheMaxBytes, 0),
 		BlockedNetworks:  blockedNetworks,
 		TrustedProxies:   trustedProxies,
@@ -311,9 +320,7 @@ func newFromSmartConfig(sc *smartconfig.Config) (*Config, error) {
 	// The default for an omitted cache_max_bytes is worked out when
 	// the cache opens; here we only record whether the operator set
 	// the key explicitly.
-	if _, present := lookupValue(sc, keyCacheMaxBytes); present {
+	_, c.CacheMaxBytesExplicit = lookupValue(sc, keyCacheMaxBytes)
-		c.CacheMaxBytesExplicit = true
-	}
 
 	// Build DBURL from StateDir if not explicitly set. The derived URL
 	// is a default: it applies only when db_url is omitted, never to an
@@ -426,7 +433,7 @@ func isKnownConfigKey(key string) bool {
 		keyMaxConcurrentProcessing, keyCacheMaxBytes, keyBlockedNetworks,
 		keyTrustedProxies, keyAccessControlAllowOrigin, keyUpstreamFetchTimeout,
 		keyUpstreamMaxResponseSize, keyDownstreamTimeout, keyRefererBlocklist,
-		"env":
+		keyImageRequestsPerMinute, "env":
 		return true
 	}
 
@@ -461,6 +468,7 @@ func envVarNames() map[string]string {
 		keyUpstreamFetchTimeout:       "PIXA_UPSTREAM_FETCH_TIMEOUT",
 		keyUpstreamMaxResponseSize:    "PIXA_UPSTREAM_MAX_RESPONSE_SIZE",
 		keyDownstreamTimeout:          "PIXA_DOWNSTREAM_TIMEOUT",
+		keyImageRequestsPerMinute:     "PIXA_IMAGE_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE",
 	}
 }
 
@@ -613,6 +621,14 @@ func (c *Config) validate() error {
 			settingName(keyCacheMaxBytes), c.CacheMaxBytes, errMustNotBeNegative)
 	}
 
+	// Zero is valid (it turns the limit off); only negative values are
+	// rejected.
+	if c.ImageRequestsPerMinute < 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s: value %d %w",
+			settingName(keyImageRequestsPerMinute), c.ImageRequestsPerMinute,
+			errMustNotBeNegative)
+	}
+
 	err = c.validateUpstreamMaxResponseSize()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -625,12 +641,9 @@ func (c *Config) validate() error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if c.SentryDSN != "" {
+	err = c.validateSentryDSN()
-		parsed, err := url.Parse(c.SentryDSN)
+	if err != nil {
-		if err != nil || parsed.Scheme == "" || parsed.Host == "" {
+		return err
-			return fmt.Errorf("%s: value %q is %w",
-				settingName(keySentryDSN), c.SentryDSN, errNotAValidURL)
-		}
 	}
 
 	if (c.MetricsUsername == "") != (c.MetricsPassword == "") {
@@ -642,6 +655,22 @@ func (c *Config) validate() error {
 	return c.validateAccessControlAllowOrigin()
 }
 
+// validateSentryDSN checks that sentry_dsn, when set, is a URL with a scheme
+// and a host.
+func (c *Config) validateSentryDSN() error {
+	if c.SentryDSN == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	parsed, err := url.Parse(c.SentryDSN)
+	if err != nil || parsed.Scheme == "" || parsed.Host == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s: value %q is %w",
+			settingName(keySentryDSN), c.SentryDSN, errNotAValidURL)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // validateUpstreamMaxResponseSize checks that upstream_max_response_size
 // is from 1 byte to 1 GiB. An upstream response is read whole into
 // memory, and the image processor reads one byte past this limit, which

internal/config/env_internal_test.go

@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ func TestEnvironmentSetsEveryKey(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Setenv("PIXA_UPSTREAM_CONNECTIONS_PER_HOST", "5")
 	t.Setenv("PIXA_UPSTREAM_CONNECTIONS", "10")
 	t.Setenv("PIXA_MAX_CONCURRENT_PROCESSING", "3")
+	t.Setenv("PIXA_IMAGE_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE", "30")
 	t.Setenv("PIXA_CACHE_MAX_BYTES", "1024")
 	t.Setenv("PIXA_BLOCKED_NETWORKS", "203.0.113.0/24")
 	t.Setenv("PIXA_TRUSTED_PROXIES", "192.0.2.0/24")
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ func TestEnvironmentSetsEveryKey(t *testing.T) {
 		UpstreamConnectionsPerHost: 5,
 		UpstreamConnections:        10,
 		MaxConcurrentProcessing:    3,
+		ImageRequestsPerMinute:     30,
 		CacheMaxBytes:              1024,
 		CacheMaxBytesExplicit:      true,
 		BlockedNetworks:            []netip.Prefix{netip.MustParsePrefix("203.0.113.0/24")},

internal/config/image_requests_per_minute_internal_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+package config
+
+import "testing"
+
+// testImageRequestsPerMinuteVar is the variable that sets
+// image_requests_per_minute.
+const testImageRequestsPerMinuteVar = "PIXA_IMAGE_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE"
+
+// TestImageRequestsPerMinuteValues checks that an omitted
+// image_requests_per_minute is 600, and that 0, which turns the limit off,
+// and any larger whole number are used as given.
+func TestImageRequestsPerMinuteValues(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	c, err := configFromYAML(t, signingKeyLine)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("minimal config should be valid, got error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if c.ImageRequestsPerMinute != 600 {
+		t.Errorf("ImageRequestsPerMinute = %d, want 600", c.ImageRequestsPerMinute)
+	}
+
+	explicit := []struct {
+		value string
+		want  int
+	}{
+		{"0", 0},
+		{"30", 30},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range explicit {
+		c, err := configFromYAML(t,
+			signingKeyLine+"image_requests_per_minute: "+tc.value+"\n")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("image_requests_per_minute: %s should load, got error: %v",
+				tc.value, err)
+		}
+
+		if c.ImageRequestsPerMinute != tc.want {
+			t.Errorf("ImageRequestsPerMinute = %d, want %d",
+				c.ImageRequestsPerMinute, tc.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestInvalidImageRequestsPerMinuteAbortsStartup checks that a value that is
+// negative, not a whole number, or null aborts startup naming the key and
+// the value, and the variable too where the value could have come from it.
+func TestInvalidImageRequestsPerMinuteAbortsStartup(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	key := keyImageRequestsPerMinute
+
+	runAbortCases(t, []abortCase{
+		{
+			name: "negative",
+			yaml: signingKeyLine + key + ": -1\n",
+			wantErrSubstrings: []string{
+				key, testImageRequestsPerMinuteVar, "value -1",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "not a number",
+			yaml: signingKeyLine + key + ": plenty\n",
+			wantErrSubstrings: []string{
+				key, testImageRequestsPerMinuteVar, "plenty",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:              "fractional",
+			yaml:              signingKeyLine + key + ": 2.5\n",
+			wantErrSubstrings: []string{key, "2.5"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:              "explicit null",
+			yaml:              signingKeyLine + key + ": null\n",
+			wantErrSubstrings: []string{key, nullValueText},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
+// TestImageRequestsPerMinuteFromEnvironment checks that the variable sets the
+// limit over the config file, and that an invalid value in it aborts startup
+// naming the variable and the value.
+func TestImageRequestsPerMinuteFromEnvironment(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv(testImageRequestsPerMinuteVar, "0")
+
+	c, err := configFromYAML(t, signingKeyLine+"image_requests_per_minute: 30\n")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("limit from the environment should load: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if c.ImageRequestsPerMinute != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("ImageRequestsPerMinute = %d, want 0 from the environment",
+			c.ImageRequestsPerMinute)
+	}
+
+	for _, value := range []string{"-5", "ten"} {
+		t.Run(value, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv(testImageRequestsPerMinuteVar, value)
+
+			_, err := configFromYAML(t, signingKeyLine)
+			wantStartupError(t, err, testImageRequestsPerMinuteVar, value)
+		})
+	}
+}

internal/server/image_rate_limit_internal_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/config"
+)
+
+// requestImageFrom sends method path to s from remoteAddr and returns the
+// response. The image handlers refuse an unsigned image URL with 401 and a
+// token they cannot decrypt with 400, so either status shows the limit let
+// the request through.
+func requestImageFrom(
+	t *testing.T, s *Server, method, path, remoteAddr string,
+) *httptest.ResponseRecorder {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequestWithContext(t.Context(), method, path, nil)
+	req.RemoteAddr = remoteAddr
+
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	s.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+
+	return rec
+}
+
+// TestImageRequestLimitRefusesRequestOverLimit verifies that GET and HEAD on
+// both image routes count toward one limit per client, and that the request
+// after image_requests_per_minute of them is refused with 429 and a
+// Retry-After header.
+func TestImageRequestLimitRefusesRequestOverLimit(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	requests := []struct {
+		method string
+		path   string
+		want   int
+	}{
+		{http.MethodGet, unsignedImagePath, http.StatusUnauthorized},
+		{http.MethodHead, unsignedImagePath, http.StatusUnauthorized},
+		{http.MethodGet, encryptedImagePath, http.StatusBadRequest},
+	}
+
+	s := newTestServer(t)
+	s.config.ImageRequestsPerMinute = len(requests)
+	s.SetupRoutes()
+
+	for _, tc := range requests {
+		rec := requestImageFrom(t, s, tc.method, tc.path, firstClient)
+		if rec.Code != tc.want {
+			t.Fatalf("%s %s within the limit status = %d, want %d",
+				tc.method, tc.path, rec.Code, tc.want)
+		}
+	}
+
+	rec := requestImageFrom(t, s, http.MethodHead, encryptedImagePath, firstClient)
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusTooManyRequests {
+		t.Fatalf("request over the limit status = %d, want %d",
+			rec.Code, http.StatusTooManyRequests)
+	}
+
+	retryAfter := rec.Header().Get("Retry-After")
+
+	seconds, err := strconv.Atoi(retryAfter)
+	if err != nil || seconds <= 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Retry-After = %q, want a positive number of seconds",
+			retryAfter)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestImageRequestLimitCountsClientsSeparately verifies that one client going
+// over the limit does not limit another.
+func TestImageRequestLimitCountsClientsSeparately(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	s := newTestServer(t)
+	s.config.ImageRequestsPerMinute = 1
+	s.SetupRoutes()
+
+	rec := requestImageFrom(t, s, http.MethodGet, unsignedImagePath, firstClient)
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+		t.Fatalf("first client's first request status = %d, want %d",
+			rec.Code, http.StatusUnauthorized)
+	}
+
+	rec = requestImageFrom(t, s, http.MethodGet, unsignedImagePath, firstClient)
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusTooManyRequests {
+		t.Fatalf("first client's second request status = %d, want %d",
+			rec.Code, http.StatusTooManyRequests)
+	}
+
+	rec = requestImageFrom(t, s, http.MethodGet, unsignedImagePath, secondClient)
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+		t.Errorf("second client's first request status = %d, want %d",
+			rec.Code, http.StatusUnauthorized)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestImageRequestLimitZeroLetsEveryRequestThrough verifies that with
+// image_requests_per_minute set to 0 no image request is refused with 429,
+// not even past the default limit.
+func TestImageRequestLimitZeroLetsEveryRequestThrough(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	s := newTestServer(t)
+	s.config.ImageRequestsPerMinute = 0
+	s.SetupRoutes()
+
+	for request := range config.DefaultImageRequestsPerMinute + 1 {
+		rec := requestImageFrom(t, s, http.MethodGet, unsignedImagePath, firstClient)
+		if rec.Code != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+			t.Fatalf("request %d status = %d, want %d",
+				request+1, rec.Code, http.StatusUnauthorized)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestImageRequestLimitDoesNotCountPreflight verifies that a browser's CORS
+// preflight request to an image route is answered without being counted, so
+// a client that has sent several still gets its image request through.
+func TestImageRequestLimitDoesNotCountPreflight(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	s := newTestServer(t)
+	s.config.AccessControlAllowOrigin = config.DefaultAccessControlAllowOrigin
+	s.config.ImageRequestsPerMinute = 1
+	s.SetupRoutes()
+
+	for range 3 {
+		req := httptest.NewRequestWithContext(
+			t.Context(), http.MethodOptions, unsignedImagePath, nil)
+		req.RemoteAddr = firstClient
+		req.Header.Set("Origin", "https://app.example.com")
+		req.Header.Set("Access-Control-Request-Method", http.MethodGet)
+
+		rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		s.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+
+		if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+			t.Fatalf("preflight status = %d, want %d", rec.Code, http.StatusOK)
+		}
+	}
+
+	rec := requestImageFrom(t, s, http.MethodGet, unsignedImagePath, firstClient)
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+		t.Errorf("image request after preflights status = %d, want %d",
+			rec.Code, http.StatusUnauthorized)
+	}
+}

internal/server/routes.go

@@ -88,6 +88,13 @@ func (s *Server) SetupRoutes() {
 		r.Group(func(r chi.Router) {
 			r.Use(s.refuseDuringMaintenance)
 
+			// Limited per client, as the login POST is; 0 turns the limit
+			// off. The CORS middleware answers a preflight before it gets
+			// here, so a preflight is not counted.
+			if s.config.ImageRequestsPerMinute > 0 {
+				r.Use(s.mw.RateLimit(s.config.ImageRequestsPerMinute, time.Minute))
+			}
+
 			// Main image proxy route
 			// /v1/image/<host>/<path>/<width>x<height>.<format>, or with no
 			// format /v1/image/<host>/<path>/<width>x<height>