Add an egress CIDR allowlist to the SSRF guard (closes #204 )

The SSRF blocklist had no escape hatch, so the thing webhooker is mostly for — taking a public webhook and forwarding it to something on your own network — could not be configured at all. Every private address, Docker sibling and loopback service was permanently unreachable as a delivery destination. ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS (default empty) names blocks that delivery targets may reach despite the default blocklist. It is an allowlist and only ever adds destinations: there is no boolean, and no value disables SSRF protection wholesale. Empty, the guard behaves exactly as before. Link-local (169.254.0.0/16, fe80::/10) is refused before the allowlist is consulted, so no supplied CIDR can open it — not the exact address, not a supernet, not 0.0.0.0/0. Reaching cloud instance metadata is credential theft rather than delivery to an internal service. The policy now lives in one function, Guard.checkIP, which both target-creation validation and the delivery dialer call. The two paths previously decided separately, which is how they came to disagree about a destination. The guard is built once from config and injected via fx into both the handlers and the delivery engine, so there is a single instance and a single answer. A set-but-unparseable value aborts startup naming the variable, reusing the existing envPrefixList parser. A non-empty list is logged at startup with the blocks spelled out, not counted, so the hole is visible in the log of any deployment that has one. Tests: an allowlisted loopback CIDR both validates and delivers to a live server (and the same URL still fails without the allowlist); a private address outside the listed block stays refused on both paths; metadata stays refused under six different covering CIDRs; public addresses are unaffected either way; and config coverage for parsing, startup abort, and the warning's contents.
2026-08-20 04:13:09 +00:00
16 changed files with 886 additions and 61 deletions
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -114,6 +114,62 @@ TTY detection, and security headers are always applied.
 | `SESSION_IDLE_TIMEOUT`  | Idle session timeout (Go duration)  | `24h`    |
 | `RECEIVER_RATE_LIMIT`   | Receiver requests/minute per IP per entrypoint (10x that per IP across the route) | `120` |
 | `TRUSTED_PROXIES`       | CIDRs whose forwarded headers are trusted (unset: all clients behind a proxy share one rate-limit bucket; a correct login password is never throttled either way) | `""` (none) |
+| `ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS`  | CIDRs that delivery targets may reach despite the SSRF blocklist. Read [Allowing egress to your own network](#allowing-egress-to-your-own-network) before setting it | `""` (none) |
+
+#### Allowing egress to your own network
+
+By default every delivery target must resolve to a public address.
+The private and reserved ranges — RFC 1918, loopback, CGNAT,
+link-local and the rest — are refused, which stops a target from being
+used to make webhooker probe the network it sits in.
+
+That default is also inconvenient for the thing webhooker is mostly
+for: taking a public webhook and forwarding it to something on your own
+network. A container on the same Docker network, a box on `10.x`, a
+service on `127.0.0.1` — all refused, until you name them.
+
+`ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS` is a comma-separated list of CIDR blocks (a bare
+address such as `10.0.0.7` is accepted and treated as a single host),
+for example `10.0.0.0/8, 172.17.0.0/16`. Addresses inside those blocks
+become valid delivery destinations. Everything outside them keeps the
+default answer, so this only ever adds destinations — it never removes
+any, and it cannot narrow what was already reachable.
+
+**The risk, plainly.** Each block you list is a network that anyone who
+can create a delivery target can now make this process issue requests
+into, and read the response body back out of via the delivery log. That
+is server-side request forgery, deliberately enabled and scoped by you.
+A webhooker admin account is therefore as trusted as the narrowest
+thing on those networks: an unauthenticated admin panel, a database
+listening without a password, or an internal API that trusts its
+network position is reachable through it. List the smallest blocks that
+cover the destinations you actually deliver to — prefer
+`10.1.2.3/32` over `10.0.0.0/8` — and never list a block wider than the
+network you are willing to expose.
+
+Two things this setting cannot do:
+
+- **It cannot turn the guard off.** There is no boolean, and no value
+  that disables SSRF protection wholesale. The guard is always on and
+  the list is always an allowlist; an empty list (the default) means
+  every private and reserved range stays refused.
+- **It cannot open link-local.** `169.254.0.0/16` and `fe80::/10` stay
+  blocked no matter what you list, including when you list them
+  outright or list a supernet such as `0.0.0.0/0`. That range serves
+  cloud instance metadata (`169.254.169.254`), where reaching it is
+  credential theft rather than delivery to an internal service.
+
+The list is applied at one place in the code, which both target
+creation and delivery consult, so a URL that the target form accepts is
+one that delivery will actually attempt — the two cannot disagree.
+Delivery re-resolves and re-checks the destination at dial time, so a
+hostname that resolves to an allowed address during validation and a
+different one later (DNS rebinding) is still refused unless the new
+address is also allowed.
+
+A set but unparseable value aborts startup. When the list is non-empty
+webhooker logs it at startup, blocks and all, so the hole is visible in
+the log of any deployment that has one.

 #### Trusted proxies

@@ -226,8 +282,9 @@ additionally be a number in the range 1–65535,
 `RECEIVER_RATE_LIMIT` must be at least 1,
 `RETENTION_SWEEP_INTERVAL` must be greater than zero (it is a ticker
 period, so `0s` or a negative value would crash the reaper after
-startup), and every entry in `TRUSTED_PROXIES` must be a CIDR block or
-a bare IP address. `SESSION_IDLE_TIMEOUT` is the exception: a
+startup), and every entry in `TRUSTED_PROXIES` and
+`ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS` must be a CIDR block or a bare IP address.
+`SESSION_IDLE_TIMEOUT` is the exception: a
 non-positive value there means idle expiry is disabled, not invalid.

 Boolean variables (`DEBUG`, `MAINTENANCE_MODE`) accept exactly the
@@ -1920,7 +1977,12 @@ check, see [The login endpoint](#the-login-endpoint).
  ranges (RFC 1918, loopback, link-local, cloud metadata) are blocked
  both at target creation time (URL validation) and at delivery time
  (custom HTTP transport with SSRF-safe dialer that validates resolved
-  IPs before connecting, preventing DNS rebinding attacks)
+  IPs before connecting, preventing DNS rebinding attacks). Both paths
+  route through a single decision function, so they cannot disagree
+  about a destination. An operator can permit specific blocks with
+  [`ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS`](#allowing-egress-to-your-own-network); the
+  guard cannot be switched off, and link-local stays blocked whatever
+  is listed
 - **Login limiting is inverted, deliberately.** The login `POST` has
  no pre-emptive rate limiter in front of it. Credentials are
  verified first and only a _failed_ attempt spends budget, so a
--- a/cmd/webhooker/main.go
+++ b/cmd/webhooker/main.go
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ func newApp() *fx.App {
 			session.New,
 			handlers.New,
 			middleware.New,
+			// The one SSRF guard both target-creation validation
+			// and the delivery dialer consult, so they cannot
+			// disagree about a destination.
+			delivery.NewGuard,
 			delivery.New,
 			delivery.NewArchiveSweeper,
 			// Wire *delivery.Engine as delivery.Notifier so the
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -114,6 +114,17 @@ type Config struct {
 	// clients.
 	TrustedProxies []netip.Prefix

+	// AllowedEgressCIDRs is the set of networks a delivery target
+	// may reach even though the SSRF guard's default blocklist
+	// covers them. It is empty unless ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS is set,
+	// and empty means every private/reserved range stays refused.
+	//
+	// This only ever adds destinations to what the guard would
+	// otherwise refuse. The guard itself is always on: there is no
+	// setting that disables SSRF protection, and link-local stays
+	// blocked no matter what is listed here.
+	AllowedEgressCIDRs []netip.Prefix
+
 	params *ConfigParams
 	log    *slog.Logger
 }
@@ -406,6 +417,11 @@ func loadFromEnv() (*Config, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}

+	allowedEgressCIDRs, err := envPrefixList("ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	return &Config{
 		DataDir:                envString("DATA_DIR"),
 		Debug:                  debug,
@@ -419,9 +435,48 @@ func loadFromEnv() (*Config, error) {
 		SessionIdleTimeout:     sessionIdleTimeout,
 		ReceiverRateLimit:      receiverRateLimit,
 		TrustedProxies:         trustedProxies,
+		AllowedEgressCIDRs:     allowedEgressCIDRs,
 	}, nil
 }

+// PrefixStrings renders a prefix list as its CIDR strings, for
+// logging a list an operator has to be able to read back.
+func PrefixStrings(prefixes []netip.Prefix) []string {
+	out := make([]string, 0, len(prefixes))
+
+	for _, prefix := range prefixes {
+		out = append(out, prefix.String())
+	}
+
+	return out
+}
+
+// warnEgressAllowlist logs the effective ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS
+// whenever it is non-empty.
+//
+// It prints the blocks themselves rather than a count, because
+// this is the one setting that lets a delivery target reach the
+// host's own network: an operator reading the startup log has to
+// be able to see exactly which hole is open. Silence means the
+// list is empty and the SSRF guard is refusing every
+// private/reserved range, which is the default.
+func (c *Config) warnEgressAllowlist(log *slog.Logger) {
+	if len(c.AllowedEgressCIDRs) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+
+	log.Warn(
+		"ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS lets delivery targets reach these "+
+			"otherwise-blocked private/reserved networks. Anyone "+
+			"who can create a delivery target can now make this "+
+			"process issue requests into them, and read back the "+
+			"response. Link-local (cloud instance metadata) stays "+
+			"blocked regardless.",
+		"allowedEgressCIDRs",
+		strings.Join(PrefixStrings(c.AllowedEgressCIDRs), ","),
+	)
+}
+
 // warnSharedRateLimitBucket logs a startup warning whenever
 // TRUSTED_PROXIES is empty, in any environment.
 //
@@ -511,12 +566,14 @@ func New(lc fx.Lifecycle, params ConfigParams) (*Config, error) {
 		"sessionIdleTimeout", s.SessionIdleTimeout.String(),
 		"receiverRateLimit", s.ReceiverRateLimit,
 		"trustedProxies", len(s.TrustedProxies),
+		"allowedEgressCIDRs", len(s.AllowedEgressCIDRs),
 		"hasSentryDSN", s.SentryDSN != "",
 		"hasMetricsAuth",
 		s.MetricsUsername != "" && s.MetricsPassword != "",
 	)

 	s.warnSharedRateLimitBucket(log)
+	s.warnEgressAllowlist(log)

 	return s, nil
 }
--- a/internal/config/config_test.go
+++ b/internal/config/config_test.go
@@ -627,6 +627,183 @@ func testTrustedProxiesSuccess(
 	assert.Equal(t, expected, got)
 }

+// TestAllowedEgressCIDRs covers ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS, the escape
+// hatch that lets a self-hosted deployment forward to its own
+// network. Unset it must stay empty, so the SSRF guard keeps
+// refusing every private/reserved range; a set-but-unparseable
+// value must abort startup naming the variable rather than
+// silently running with a list the operator did not write.
+func TestAllowedEgressCIDRs(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		set         bool
+		value       string
+		expected    []string
+		expectError bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:     caseUnsetUsesDefault,
+			set:      false,
+			expected: []string{},
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "empty value yields empty list",
+			set:      true,
+			value:    "",
+			expected: []string{},
+		},
+		{
+			name:     caseValidValueParsed,
+			set:      true,
+			value:    cidrPrivateV4,
+			expected: []string{cidrPrivateV4},
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "multiple blocks with whitespace",
+			set:      true,
+			value:    " 10.0.0.0/8 , 127.0.0.0/8 ",
+			expected: []string{cidrPrivateV4, "127.0.0.0/8"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "bare address becomes a single host",
+			set:      true,
+			value:    "172.17.0.5",
+			expected: []string{"172.17.0.5/32"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:        caseUnparseableFails,
+			set:         true,
+			value:       cidrPrivateV4 + ",not-an-address",
+			expectError: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "out-of-range prefix length fails startup",
+			set:         true,
+			value:       "10.0.0.0/33",
+			expectError: true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Cannot use t.Parallel() here because t.Setenv
+			// is incompatible with parallel subtests.
+			t.Setenv("WEBHOOKER_ENVIRONMENT", "dev")
+
+			if tt.set {
+				t.Setenv("ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS", tt.value)
+			} else {
+				require.NoError(
+					t, os.Unsetenv("ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS"),
+				)
+			}
+
+			if tt.expectError {
+				expectStartupErrorFor(
+					t, "ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS", config.ErrInvalidCIDR,
+				)
+			} else {
+				testAllowedEgressCIDRsSuccess(t, tt.expected)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func testAllowedEgressCIDRsSuccess(
+	t *testing.T,
+	expected []string,
+) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	var cfg *config.Config
+
+	app := fxtest.New(
+		t,
+		fx.Provide(
+			globals.New,
+			logger.New,
+			config.New,
+		),
+		fx.Populate(&cfg),
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, app.Err())
+
+	app.RequireStart()
+
+	defer app.RequireStop()
+
+	assert.Equal(
+		t, expected, config.PrefixStrings(cfg.AllowedEgressCIDRs),
+	)
+}
+
+// TestEgressAllowlistWarning covers the startup log that shows an
+// operator the hole ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS opened. It must stay
+// silent on the default (empty) list and, when set, print the
+// blocks themselves rather than a count.
+func TestEgressAllowlistWarning(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name          string
+		allowed       string
+		expectWarning bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:          "empty allowlist is quiet",
+			expectWarning: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "non-empty allowlist warns",
+			allowed:       "10.0.0.0/8,127.0.0.0/8",
+			expectWarning: true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Cannot use t.Parallel() here because t.Setenv
+			// is incompatible with parallel subtests.
+			t.Setenv("WEBHOOKER_ENVIRONMENT", config.EnvironmentDev)
+
+			if tt.allowed == "" {
+				require.NoError(
+					t, os.Unsetenv("ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS"),
+				)
+			} else {
+				t.Setenv("ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS", tt.allowed)
+			}
+
+			var buf bytes.Buffer
+
+			log := slog.New(slog.NewJSONHandler(
+				&buf, &slog.HandlerOptions{
+					Level: slog.LevelDebug,
+				},
+			))
+
+			require.NoError(
+				t, config.WarnEgressAllowlistForTest(log),
+			)
+
+			if !tt.expectWarning {
+				assert.Empty(t, buf.String())
+
+				return
+			}
+
+			logged := buf.String()
+
+			assert.Contains(t, logged, `"level":"WARN"`)
+			assert.Contains(t, logged, "ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS")
+			// The blocks themselves, not a count: the operator has
+			// to be able to read back which networks are open.
+			assert.Contains(t, logged, "10.0.0.0/8")
+			assert.Contains(t, logged, "127.0.0.0/8")
+			// The warning must keep saying what stays shut.
+			assert.Contains(t, logged, "Link-local")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // TestSharedRateLimitBucketWarning covers the startup warning that
 // tells an operator a deployment behind a reverse proxy shares one
 // rate-limit bucket between every client, which turns the receiver
--- a/internal/config/export_test.go
+++ b/internal/config/export_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,21 @@ func WarnSharedRateLimitBucketForTest(log *slog.Logger) error {
 	return nil
 }

+// WarnEgressAllowlistForTest loads a Config from the current
+// environment and emits its egress-allowlist startup warning to
+// log, so a test can assert both that the warning fires only when
+// the list is non-empty and that it names the blocks it opened.
+func WarnEgressAllowlistForTest(log *slog.Logger) error {
+	c, err := loadFromEnv()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	c.warnEgressAllowlist(log)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // EnvBoolForTest exposes envBool.
 func EnvBoolForTest(key string, defaultValue bool) (bool, error) {
 	return envBool(key, defaultValue)
--- a/internal/delivery/client_ssrf_test.go
+++ b/internal/delivery/client_ssrf_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ func newSSRFTestEngine() *delivery.Engine {

 	client := &http.Client{
 		Timeout: 30 * time.Second,
-		Transport: delivery.NewSSRFSafeTransport(),
+		Transport: delivery.NewTestGuard().
+			NewSSRFSafeTransport(),
 	}

 	return delivery.NewTestEngine(log, client, 1)
@@ -36,8 +37,8 @@ func TestClientForConfig_TimeoutKeepsSSRFGuard(t *testing.T) {
 	engine := newSSRFTestEngine()

 	blocked := []string{
-		"http://127.0.0.1/hook",
-		"http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/",
+		loopbackHookURL,
+		metadataURL,
 		"http://[fe80::1]/hook",
 	}

--- a/internal/delivery/engine.go
+++ b/internal/delivery/engine.go
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ type EngineParams struct {
 	DB        *database.Database
 	DBManager *database.WebhookDBManager
 	Logger    *logger.Logger
+	SSRFGuard *Guard
 }

 // Engine processes queued deliveries in the background
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@ func New(

 	e.initTargets(&http.Client{
 		Timeout:   httpClientTimeout,
-		Transport: NewSSRFSafeTransport(),
+		Transport: params.SSRFGuard.NewSSRFSafeTransport(),
 	})

 	e.registerHooks(lc)
--- a/internal/delivery/export_test.go
+++ b/internal/delivery/export_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"log/slog"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/netip"
 	"time"

 	"go.uber.org/fx"
@@ -31,6 +32,26 @@ func ExportIsBlockedIP(ip net.IP) bool {
 	return isBlockedIP(ip)
 }

+// NewTestGuard builds an SSRF Guard from an explicit egress
+// allowlist, without going through config. Passing no prefixes
+// yields the default guard, which blocks every private/reserved
+// range.
+func NewTestGuard(allowed ...netip.Prefix) *Guard {
+	return &Guard{allowed: allowed}
+}
+
+// ExportCheckIP exposes the guard's single decision point, so a
+// test can assert the policy both the validator and the dialer
+// inherit without needing a live destination.
+func (g *Guard) ExportCheckIP(ip net.IP) error {
+	return g.checkIP(ip)
+}
+
+// ExportAlwaysBlockedNetworks exposes alwaysBlockedNetworks.
+func ExportAlwaysBlockedNetworks() []*net.IPNet {
+	return alwaysBlockedNetworks
+}
+
 // ExportBlockedNetworks exposes blockedNetworks.
 func ExportBlockedNetworks() []*net.IPNet {
 	return blockedNetworks
--- a/internal/delivery/ssrf.go
+++ b/internal/delivery/ssrf.go
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/netip"
 	"net/url"
 	"time"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/webhooker/internal/config"
 )

 const (
@@ -25,20 +28,39 @@ var (
 	errBlockedIP = errors.New(
 		"blocked private/reserved IP range",
 	)
+	errBlockedLinkLocal = errors.New(
+		"blocked link-local range, which serves cloud instance " +
+			"metadata: ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS cannot open it",
+	)
 	errInvalidScheme = errors.New(
 		"only http and https are allowed",
 	)
 )

 // blockedNetworks contains all private/reserved IP ranges
-// that should be blocked to prevent SSRF attacks.
+// that should be blocked to prevent SSRF attacks. An operator
+// can permit specific blocks out of this set with
+// ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS; see Guard.
 //
 //nolint:gochecknoglobals // package-level network list is appropriate here
 var blockedNetworks []*net.IPNet

+// alwaysBlockedNetworks are the ranges no configuration can
+// open. They are the link-local blocks, which carry the cloud
+// instance metadata services (169.254.169.254 and its IPv6
+// equivalents). Reaching one is credential theft rather than
+// delivery to an internal service, so a supplied CIDR that
+// covers a link-local address still leaves it blocked.
+//
+// These addresses are also in blockedNetworks; this list is what
+// makes them unconditional.
+//
+//nolint:gochecknoglobals // package-level network list is appropriate here
+var alwaysBlockedNetworks []*net.IPNet
+
 //nolint:gochecknoinits // init is the idiomatic way to parse CIDRs once at startup
 func init() {
-	cidrs := []string{
+	blockedNetworks = mustParseCIDRs([]string{
 		"127.0.0.0/8",
 		"10.0.0.0/8",
 		"172.16.0.0/12",
@@ -56,8 +78,20 @@ func init() {
 		"::1/128",
 		"fc00::/7",
 		"fe80::/10",
+	})
+
+	alwaysBlockedNetworks = mustParseCIDRs([]string{
+		"169.254.0.0/16",
+		"fe80::/10",
+	})
 }

+// mustParseCIDRs parses a list of CIDR literals, panicking on a
+// bad one. The inputs are compile-time constants, so a failure
+// is a programming error rather than a runtime condition.
+func mustParseCIDRs(cidrs []string) []*net.IPNet {
+	networks := make([]*net.IPNet, 0, len(cidrs))
+
 	for _, cidr := range cidrs {
 		_, network, err := net.ParseCIDR(cidr)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -67,16 +101,15 @@ func init() {
 			))
 		}

-		blockedNetworks = append(
-			blockedNetworks, network,
-		)
-	}
+		networks = append(networks, network)
 	}

-// isBlockedIP checks whether an IP address falls within
-// any blocked private/reserved network range.
-func isBlockedIP(ip net.IP) bool {
-	for _, network := range blockedNetworks {
+	return networks
+}
+
+// matchesAny reports whether ip falls inside any of networks.
+func matchesAny(networks []*net.IPNet, ip net.IP) bool {
+	for _, network := range networks {
 		if network.Contains(ip) {
 			return true
 		}
@@ -85,9 +118,40 @@ func isBlockedIP(ip net.IP) bool {
 	return false
 }

+// isBlockedIP checks whether an IP address falls within
+// any blocked private/reserved network range, before any
+// operator allowlist is considered.
+func isBlockedIP(ip net.IP) bool {
+	return matchesAny(blockedNetworks, ip)
+}
+
+// Guard makes every SSRF decision in the process.
+//
+// It holds the operator's ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS allowlist and
+// applies it in exactly one place, checkIP, which both the
+// target-creation validator (ValidateTargetURL) and the delivery
+// dialer call. Routing both through the same function is the
+// point: when the two paths decided separately they drifted and
+// disagreed, which is what made a target creatable but
+// undeliverable.
+//
+// The guard is always on. The allowlist only ever adds specific
+// networks to what the default blocklist refuses, and no
+// configuration turns the guard off wholesale.
+type Guard struct {
+	// allowed is the operator's ALLOWED_EGRESS_CIDRS. Empty
+	// (the default) means the default blocklist stands as-is.
+	allowed []netip.Prefix
+}
+
+// NewGuard builds the process-wide SSRF guard from configuration.
+func NewGuard(cfg *config.Config) *Guard {
+	return &Guard{allowed: cfg.AllowedEgressCIDRs}
+}
+
 // ValidateTargetURL checks that an HTTP delivery target
 // URL is safe from SSRF attacks.
-func ValidateTargetURL(
+func (g *Guard) ValidateTargetURL(
 	ctx context.Context, targetURL string,
 ) error {
 	parsed, err := url.Parse(targetURL)
@@ -111,36 +175,78 @@ func ValidateTargetURL(
 	}

 	if ip := net.ParseIP(host); ip != nil {
-		return checkBlockedIP(ip)
+		return g.checkIP(ip)
 	}

-	return validateHostname(ctx, host)
+	return g.validateHostname(ctx, host)
 }

-func validateScheme(scheme string) error {
-	if scheme != "http" && scheme != "https" {
+// NewSSRFSafeTransport creates an http.Transport with a
+// custom DialContext that refuses connections to any address
+// this guard blocks. It resolves and checks at dial time, so a
+// name that passed validation but now answers with a blocked
+// address (DNS rebinding) is still refused.
+func (g *Guard) NewSSRFSafeTransport() *http.Transport {
+	return &http.Transport{
+		DialContext: g.ssrfDialContext,
+	}
+}
+
+// allows reports whether ip falls inside the operator's
+// configured egress allowlist.
+func (g *Guard) allows(ip net.IP) bool {
+	if len(g.allowed) == 0 {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	addr, ok := netip.AddrFromSlice(ip)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	// Config unmaps every parsed prefix, so an IPv4-mapped
+	// address has to be unmapped too or it would never match.
+	addr = addr.Unmap()
+
+	for _, prefix := range g.allowed {
+		if prefix.Contains(addr) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
+// checkIP is the single point at which SSRF policy is decided.
+//
+// The order is the policy:
+//
+//  1. Link-local is refused before the allowlist is consulted,
+//     so no configured CIDR can reach cloud instance metadata.
+//  2. The allowlist is consulted next, so a listed private
+//     network becomes reachable.
+//  3. Everything else keeps the default blocklist's answer.
+func (g *Guard) checkIP(ip net.IP) error {
+	if matchesAny(alwaysBlockedNetworks, ip) {
 		return fmt.Errorf(
-			"unsupported URL scheme %q: %w",
-			scheme, errInvalidScheme,
+			"target IP %s: %w", ip, errBlockedLinkLocal,
 		)
 	}

+	if g.allows(ip) {
 		return nil
 	}

-func checkBlockedIP(ip net.IP) error {
 	if isBlockedIP(ip) {
 		return fmt.Errorf(
-			"target IP %s is in a blocked "+
-				"private/reserved range: %w",
-			ip, errBlockedIP,
+			"target IP %s: %w", ip, errBlockedIP,
 		)
 	}

 	return nil
 }

-func validateHostname(
+func (g *Guard) validateHostname(
 	ctx context.Context, host string,
 ) error {
 	dnsCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(
@@ -165,11 +271,11 @@ func validateHostname(
 	}

 	for _, ipAddr := range ips {
-		if isBlockedIP(ipAddr.IP) {
+		err = g.checkIP(ipAddr.IP)
+		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf(
-				"hostname %q resolves to blocked "+
-					"IP %s: %w",
-				host, ipAddr.IP, errBlockedIP,
+				"hostname %q resolves to a blocked address: %w",
+				host, err,
 			)
 		}
 	}
@@ -177,16 +283,7 @@ func validateHostname(
 	return nil
 }

-// NewSSRFSafeTransport creates an http.Transport with a
-// custom DialContext that blocks connections to
-// private/reserved IP addresses.
-func NewSSRFSafeTransport() *http.Transport {
-	return &http.Transport{
-		DialContext: ssrfDialContext,
-	}
-}
-
-func ssrfDialContext(
+func (g *Guard) ssrfDialContext(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	network, addr string,
 ) (net.Conn, error) {
@@ -209,11 +306,11 @@ func ssrfDialContext(
 	}

 	for _, ipAddr := range ips {
-		if isBlockedIP(ipAddr.IP) {
+		err = g.checkIP(ipAddr.IP)
+		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf(
-				"ssrf: connection to %s (%s) "+
-					"blocked: %w",
-				host, ipAddr.IP, errBlockedIP,
+				"ssrf: connection to %s blocked: %w",
+				host, err,
 			)
 		}
 	}
@@ -225,3 +322,14 @@ func ssrfDialContext(
 		net.JoinHostPort(ips[0].IP.String(), port),
 	)
 }
+
+func validateScheme(scheme string) error {
+	if scheme != "http" && scheme != "https" {
+		return fmt.Errorf(
+			"unsupported URL scheme %q: %w",
+			scheme, errInvalidScheme,
+		)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
--- a/internal/delivery/ssrf_allowlist_test.go
+++ b/internal/delivery/ssrf_allowlist_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,370 @@
+package delivery_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"net/netip"
+	"net/url"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/webhooker/internal/delivery"
+)
+
+// Addresses the SSRF tests in this package share.
+const (
+	// metadataIP is the cloud instance metadata address, and
+	// metadataURL an endpoint on it. The guard must never reach
+	// either, whatever an operator lists.
+	metadataIP  = "169.254.169.254"
+	metadataURL = "http://" + metadataIP + "/latest/meta-data/"
+
+	// loopbackHookURL is a target on this host: blocked by
+	// default, reachable only once an operator allowlists
+	// loopback.
+	loopbackHookURL = "http://127.0.0.1/hook"
+
+	// publicIP is an ordinary public address, which the guard
+	// permits with or without an allowlist.
+	publicIP = "93.184.216.34"
+)
+
+// TestGuardAllowlist_PermittedCIDRDelivers proves the escape
+// hatch actually works end to end: with 127.0.0.0/8 allowed, the
+// guard's own transport connects to a loopback server and gets a
+// response back. The default guard, given the identical URL,
+// refuses it — so the delivery succeeds because of the allowlist
+// and nothing else.
+func TestGuardAllowlist_PermittedCIDRDelivers(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(
+		func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+		},
+	))
+	t.Cleanup(srv.Close)
+
+	// httptest listens on loopback, which the default blocklist
+	// covers: exactly the "forward to a service on this host"
+	// case the allowlist exists for.
+	requireLoopback(t, srv.URL)
+
+	guard := delivery.NewTestGuard(
+		netip.MustParsePrefix("127.0.0.0/8"),
+	)
+
+	require.NoError(t,
+		guard.ValidateTargetURL(context.Background(), srv.URL),
+		"an allowlisted loopback target must pass validation",
+	)
+
+	client := &http.Client{
+		Timeout:   5 * time.Second,
+		Transport: guard.NewSSRFSafeTransport(),
+	}
+
+	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(
+		context.Background(), http.MethodPost, srv.URL, nil,
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	resp, err := client.Do(req)
+	require.NoError(t,
+		err, "an allowlisted loopback target must be deliverable",
+	)
+
+	defer func() { _ = resp.Body.Close() }()
+
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusNoContent, resp.StatusCode)
+
+	// The same URL through the default guard must still fail, or
+	// this test would pass without the allowlist doing anything.
+	assert.Error(t,
+		delivery.NewTestGuard().ValidateTargetURL(
+			context.Background(), srv.URL,
+		),
+		"without the allowlist the same target must be refused",
+	)
+}
+
+// TestGuardAllowlist_UnlistedPrivateStillRefused proves the
+// allowlist grants only what it names. A guard that opens one
+// private block must keep refusing every other one, at both the
+// validation and the delivery entry point.
+func TestGuardAllowlist_UnlistedPrivateStillRefused(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	// Only 10.1.0.0/16 is open — a narrow block inside a much
+	// wider private range, so the test can tell "permits the
+	// listed block" from "permits anything private".
+	guard := delivery.NewTestGuard(
+		netip.MustParsePrefix("10.1.0.0/16"),
+	)
+
+	refused := []string{
+		"http://192.168.1.10/hook",
+		"http://172.16.0.1/hook",
+		loopbackHookURL,
+		"http://[fc00::1]/hook",
+		"http://100.64.0.1/hook",
+		// Private, adjacent to the allowed block, outside it.
+		"http://10.2.0.1/hook",
+	}
+
+	for _, target := range refused {
+		t.Run(target, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			err := guard.ValidateTargetURL(
+				context.Background(), target,
+			)
+			require.Error(t,
+				err, "%s is not allowlisted and must be refused",
+				target,
+			)
+			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "blocked")
+
+			assertDialRefused(t, guard, target)
+		})
+	}
+
+	// The block that is listed must in fact be permitted, so the
+	// refusals above are selective rather than a guard that
+	// ignores its allowlist entirely.
+	assert.NoError(t,
+		guard.ValidateTargetURL(
+			context.Background(), "http://10.1.2.3/hook",
+		),
+		"the allowlisted block must be permitted",
+	)
+}
+
+// TestGuardAllowlist_MetadataAlwaysRefused is the load-bearing
+// case: link-local carries cloud instance metadata, so reaching
+// it is credential theft rather than delivery to an internal
+// service. Every one of these guards names a CIDR that covers
+// 169.254.169.254 — including 0.0.0.0/0 — and the address must
+// stay refused anyway, on both paths.
+func TestGuardAllowlist_MetadataAlwaysRefused(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name   string
+		allow  string
+		target string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:   "exact metadata host",
+			allow:  "169.254.169.254/32",
+			target: metadataURL,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "whole link-local block",
+			allow:  "169.254.0.0/16",
+			target: metadataURL,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "supernet covering link-local",
+			allow:  "169.0.0.0/8",
+			target: metadataURL,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "the entire IPv4 internet",
+			allow:  "0.0.0.0/0",
+			target: metadataURL,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "other link-local address",
+			allow:  "0.0.0.0/0",
+			target: "http://169.254.1.1/",
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "IPv6 link-local",
+			allow:  "::/0",
+			target: "http://[fe80::1]/",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			guard := delivery.NewTestGuard(
+				netip.MustParsePrefix(tt.allow),
+			)
+
+			err := guard.ValidateTargetURL(
+				context.Background(), tt.target,
+			)
+			require.Error(t,
+				err,
+				"%s must stay blocked even though %s covers it",
+				tt.target, tt.allow,
+			)
+			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "link-local",
+				"the refusal must say why it cannot be opened",
+			)
+
+			assertDialRefused(t, guard, tt.target)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestGuardAllowlist_PublicUnaffected asserts the allowlist does
+// not narrow anything: public addresses were reachable before it
+// existed and stay reachable, whether or not a list is set.
+func TestGuardAllowlist_PublicUnaffected(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	guards := map[string]*delivery.Guard{
+		"default": delivery.NewTestGuard(),
+		"with allowlist": delivery.NewTestGuard(
+			netip.MustParsePrefix("10.0.0.0/8"),
+		),
+	}
+
+	for name, guard := range guards {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			assert.NoError(t,
+				guard.ValidateTargetURL(
+					context.Background(),
+					"http://"+publicIP+"/webhook",
+				),
+			)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestGuardCheckIP_BothPathsShareOneDecision asserts that the
+// validator and the dialer are not two policies that happen to
+// agree: both are defined in terms of checkIP, so the exported
+// decision function is the whole answer for a given address.
+func TestGuardCheckIP_BothPathsShareOneDecision(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	guard := delivery.NewTestGuard(
+		netip.MustParsePrefix("10.0.0.0/8"),
+	)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		ip      string
+		allowed bool
+	}{
+		{"10.1.2.3", true},
+		{publicIP, true},
+		{"192.168.1.1", false},
+		{"127.0.0.1", false},
+		{metadataIP, false},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.ip, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			ip := net.ParseIP(tt.ip)
+			require.NotNil(t, ip)
+
+			decision := guard.ExportCheckIP(ip)
+
+			validation := guard.ValidateTargetURL(
+				context.Background(), "http://"+hostFor(tt.ip)+"/x",
+			)
+
+			if tt.allowed {
+				require.NoError(t, decision)
+				require.NoError(t, validation)
+
+				return
+			}
+
+			require.Error(t, decision)
+			require.Error(t, validation,
+				"validation must refuse what checkIP refuses",
+			)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestAlwaysBlockedNetworks_AreLinkLocal pins the unconditional
+// set to link-local only. It is deliberately small: everything
+// else in the default blocklist is an operator's own network and
+// must remain openable, or the escape hatch would not work.
+func TestAlwaysBlockedNetworks_AreLinkLocal(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	nets := delivery.ExportAlwaysBlockedNetworks()
+
+	got := make([]string, 0, len(nets))
+	for _, n := range nets {
+		got = append(got, n.String())
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(t,
+		[]string{"169.254.0.0/16", "fe80::/10"}, got,
+	)
+}
+
+// requireLoopback fails the test unless rawURL's host is a
+// loopback address, so the allowlist test cannot silently stop
+// exercising a blocked range.
+func requireLoopback(t *testing.T, rawURL string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	parsed, err := url.Parse(rawURL)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ip := net.ParseIP(parsed.Hostname())
+	require.NotNil(t, ip, "test server host must be an IP literal")
+	require.True(t, ip.IsLoopback(),
+		"test server must listen on loopback, got %s", ip,
+	)
+}
+
+// assertDialRefused asserts the guard's transport refuses to
+// connect to target, which is the delivery-time half of the
+// policy. It never reaches the network: the guard checks the
+// resolved address before dialling.
+func assertDialRefused(
+	t *testing.T, guard *delivery.Guard, target string,
+) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	client := &http.Client{
+		Timeout:   5 * time.Second,
+		Transport: guard.NewSSRFSafeTransport(),
+	}
+
+	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(
+		context.Background(), http.MethodPost, target, nil,
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	resp, err := client.Do(req)
+	if resp != nil {
+		_ = resp.Body.Close()
+	}
+
+	require.Error(t, err,
+		"delivery to %s must be refused by the dialer", target,
+	)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "blocked",
+		"the refusal must come from the SSRF guard",
+	)
+}
+
+// hostFor renders an IP as it appears in a URL host, bracketing
+// IPv6 literals.
+func hostFor(ip string) string {
+	if net.ParseIP(ip).To4() == nil {
+		return "[" + ip + "]"
+	}
+
+	return ip
+}
--- a/internal/delivery/ssrf_test.go
+++ b/internal/delivery/ssrf_test.go
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ func TestIsBlockedIP_PrivateRanges(t *testing.T) {
 		{"192.168.0.1", "192.168.0.1", true},
 		{"192.168.255.255", "192.168.255.255", true},
 		{"169.254.0.1", "169.254.0.1", true},
-		{"169.254.169.254", "169.254.169.254", true},
+		{metadataIP, metadataIP, true},
 		{"8.8.8.8", "8.8.8.8", false},
 		{"1.1.1.1", "1.1.1.1", false},
-		{"93.184.216.34", "93.184.216.34", false},
+		{publicIP, publicIP, false},
 		{"::1", "::1", true},
 		{"fd00::1", "fd00::1", true},
 		{"fc00::1", "fc00::1", true},
@@ -72,12 +72,12 @@ func TestValidateTargetURL_Blocked(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()

 	blockedURLs := []string{
-		"http://127.0.0.1/hook",
+		loopbackHookURL,
 		"http://127.0.0.1:8080/hook",
 		"https://10.0.0.1/hook",
 		"http://192.168.1.1/webhook",
 		"http://172.16.0.1/api",
-		"http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/",
+		metadataURL,
 		"http://[::1]/hook",
 		"http://[fc00::1]/hook",
 		"http://[fe80::1]/hook",
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func TestValidateTargetURL_Blocked(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run(u, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()

-			err := delivery.ValidateTargetURL(
+			err := delivery.NewTestGuard().ValidateTargetURL(
 				context.Background(), u,
 			)

@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func TestValidateTargetURL_Allowed(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run(u, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()

-			err := delivery.ValidateTargetURL(
+			err := delivery.NewTestGuard().ValidateTargetURL(
 				context.Background(), u,
 			)

@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ func TestValidateTargetURL_Allowed(t *testing.T) {
 func TestValidateTargetURL_InvalidScheme(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()

-	err := delivery.ValidateTargetURL(
+	err := delivery.NewTestGuard().ValidateTargetURL(
 		context.Background(), "ftp://example.com/hook",
 	)

@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func TestValidateTargetURL_InvalidScheme(t *testing.T) {
 func TestValidateTargetURL_EmptyHost(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()

-	err := delivery.ValidateTargetURL(
+	err := delivery.NewTestGuard().ValidateTargetURL(
 		context.Background(), "http:///path",
 	)

@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ func TestValidateTargetURL_EmptyHost(t *testing.T) {
 func TestValidateTargetURL_InvalidURL(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()

-	err := delivery.ValidateTargetURL(
+	err := delivery.NewTestGuard().ValidateTargetURL(
 		context.Background(), "://invalid",
 	)

--- a/internal/delivery/url_mask_test.go
+++ b/internal/delivery/url_mask_test.go
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ func TestDoHTTPRequest_TransportErrorMasksURL(t *testing.T) {
 func TestValidateTargetURL_UnparsableURLIsMasked(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()

-	err := delivery.ValidateTargetURL(
+	err := delivery.NewTestGuard().ValidateTargetURL(
 		context.TODO(),
 		"https://hooks.slack.com"+maskSecretPath+"\n",
 	)
--- a/internal/handlers/handlers.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/handlers.go
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ type HandlersParams struct {
 	Middleware   *middleware.Middleware
 	Notifier     delivery.Notifier
 	Evictor      delivery.WebhookEvictor
+	SSRFGuard    *delivery.Guard
 }

 // Handlers provides HTTP handler methods for all application
@@ -75,6 +76,11 @@ type Handlers struct {
 	evictor   delivery.WebhookEvictor
 	templates map[string]*template.Template

+	// ssrf validates submitted target URLs. It is the same guard
+	// the delivery engine dials through, so a URL accepted here
+	// is one delivery will actually attempt.
+	ssrf *delivery.Guard
+
 	// dummyVerifications counts the equivalent-cost verifications
 	// charged for usernames that do not exist. It exists so a test
 	// can prove that path runs without measuring wall-clock time.
@@ -114,6 +120,7 @@ func New(
 	s.mw = params.Middleware
 	s.notifier = params.Notifier
 	s.evictor = params.Evictor
+	s.ssrf = params.SSRFGuard

 	// Parse all page templates once at startup
 	s.templates = map[string]*template.Template{
--- a/internal/handlers/handlers_test.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/handlers_test.go
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ func newTestApp(
 				return r
 			},
 			middleware.New,
+			delivery.NewGuard,
 			handlers.New,
 		),
 		fx.Populate(targets...),
--- a/internal/handlers/source_management.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/source_management.go
@@ -1160,7 +1160,7 @@ func (h *Handlers) buildURLTargetConfig(
 		return "", errMissingURL
 	}

-	err := delivery.ValidateTargetURL(
+	err := h.ssrf.ValidateTargetURL(
 		r.Context(), targetURL,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
--- a/internal/server/routes_test.go
+++ b/internal/server/routes_test.go
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ func newTestEnv(t *testing.T) *testEnv {
 			func() delivery.Notifier { return &noopNotifier{} },
 			func() delivery.WebhookEvictor { return &noopEvictor{} },
 			middleware.New,
+			delivery.NewGuard,
 			handlers.New,
 		),
 		fx.Populate(&log, &cfg, &mw, &hnd, &sess, &db, &dbMgr),