README.md

@@ -685,7 +685,9 @@ See `configs/config.example.yml` for all options with defaults.
   `metrics.username` and `metrics.password` are set. A request's `handler` label
   is the pattern of the route it matches, such as `/v1/image/*`, never its path.
   Requests that match no route share the label `unmatched`: those the router
-  answers 404 or 405, and CORS preflights
+  answers 404 or 405, and CORS preflights. A request's `method` label is its
+  method when that is `GET`, `HEAD`, `POST`, `PUT`, `PATCH`, `DELETE`,
+  `OPTIONS`, `CONNECT` or `TRACE`, and `other` for any other method
 - **Logging**: stdlib slog
 
 ## Entrypoints

TODO.md

@@ -30,6 +30,15 @@ P2: security: per-origin rate limiting
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-15 the request metrics record any method that is not a standard one as
+  `other` (closes #274): their `method` label was each request's method as sent,
+  and Go's HTTP server accepts any method name, so a client sending made-up
+  methods added series to the Prometheus registry that were never removed. The
+  label is now the request's method only for `GET`, `HEAD`, `POST`, `PUT`,
+  `PATCH`, `DELETE`, `OPTIONS`, `CONNECT` and `TRACE`. The metrics library reads
+  the method from the request it is handed, so the metrics middleware hands it a
+  copy of the request carrying the label; the handlers still see the method the
+  client sent.
 - 2026-10-15 logging out ends every login session (closes #256): a login session
   was a cookie with nothing kept on the server, so `/logout` removed it from one
   browser and a copy of it kept working for its 30 days. Every login is made

internal/middleware/middleware.go

@@ -220,7 +220,10 @@ func (s *Middleware) CORS() func(http.Handler) http.Handler {
 // pattern of the chi route a request matches, such as /v1/image/*, or
 // "unmatched" for a request that matches none, so the routes fix how many
 // values the label has. It is never the path, with which any client could
-// add series to the registry without limit.
+// add series to the registry without limit. Its method label is the
+// request's method when that is a standard one, such as GET, and "other"
+// for any other: Go's HTTP server accepts any method name, so a label per
+// method would let a client add series the same way.
 func (s *Middleware) Metrics() func(http.Handler) http.Handler {
 	mdlw := ghmm.New(ghmm.Config{
 		Recorder: metrics.NewRecorder(metrics.Config{
@@ -230,7 +233,19 @@ func (s *Middleware) Metrics() func(http.Handler) http.Handler {
 
 	return func(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
 		return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-			std.Handler(routePattern(r), mdlw, next).ServeHTTP(w, r)
+			// The metrics library takes the method label from the request
+			// it is handed, so it is handed a shallow copy of r whose
+			// method is the label. next is served r itself, through the
+			// response writer the library wraps to see the status and size.
+			labelled := r.WithContext(r.Context())
+			labelled.Method = methodLabel(r.Method)
+
+			serveNext := http.HandlerFunc(
+				func(wrapped http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+					next.ServeHTTP(wrapped, r)
+				})
+
+			std.Handler(routePattern(r), mdlw, serveNext).ServeHTTP(w, labelled)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -275,6 +290,20 @@ func routePattern(r *http.Request) string {
 	return pattern
 }
 
+// methodLabel returns method when it is one of the standard methods net/http
+// names: GET, HEAD, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, OPTIONS, CONNECT and TRACE.
+// For any other method it returns "other".
+func methodLabel(method string) string {
+	switch method {
+	case http.MethodGet, http.MethodHead, http.MethodPost, http.MethodPut,
+		http.MethodPatch, http.MethodDelete, http.MethodOptions,
+		http.MethodConnect, http.MethodTrace:
+		return method
+	default:
+		return "other"
+	}
+}
+
 // MetricsAuth returns a basic auth middleware for the metrics endpoint.
 func (s *Middleware) MetricsAuth() func(http.Handler) http.Handler {
 	return basicauth.New(

internal/middleware/middleware_internal_test.go

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"net/url"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -314,6 +315,58 @@ func requestCountsByHandler(
 	return counts
 }
 
+// TestMetricsGivesMadeUpMethodsOneLabel checks that the metrics middleware
+// gives requests with methods that are not standard ones a single method
+// label, "other", and still serves each request with the method it was sent
+// with. With a label per method, any client could add series to the
+// registry without limit by making up a new method for each request.
+func TestMetricsGivesMadeUpMethodsOneLabel(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	// The line /metrics shows once both made-up methods have been served.
+	const want = `http_request_duration_seconds_count{` +
+		`code="200",handler="unmatched",method="other",service=""} 2`
+
+	registry := prometheus.NewRegistry()
+	mw := &Middleware{
+		log:             slog.Default(),
+		config:          &config.Config{},
+		metricsRegistry: registry,
+	}
+
+	var served []string
+
+	handler := mw.Metrics()(http.HandlerFunc(
+		func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+			served = append(served, r.Method)
+
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		}))
+
+	methods := []string{"FROBNICATE", "WIBBLE"}
+	for _, method := range methods {
+		handler.ServeHTTP(httptest.NewRecorder(), httptest.NewRequestWithContext(
+			t.Context(), method, "/", nil))
+	}
+
+	t.Logf("methods the handler was served: %v", served)
+
+	if !slices.Equal(served, methods) {
+		t.Errorf("methods the handler was served = %v, want %v",
+			served, methods)
+	}
+
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	promhttp.HandlerFor(registry, promhttp.HandlerOpts{}).ServeHTTP(rec,
+		httptest.NewRequestWithContext(
+			t.Context(), http.MethodGet, "/metrics", nil))
+
+	if !strings.Contains(rec.Body.String(), want) {
+		t.Errorf("/metrics does not count both made-up methods as one; "+
+			"want the line %q in:\n%s", want, rec.Body.String())
+	}
+}
+
 // TestLoggingLeavesOutSubmittedSigningKey checks that a login, a POST /
 // whose form carries the signing key, leaves no trace of the key in the
 // request's log line.