fix(security): resolve rate limit bypass for unauthenticated requests#209
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DenizAltunkapan merged 4 commits intoVault-Web:mainfrom Apr 1, 2026
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Pull request overview
This PR hardens backend rate limiting by ensuring unauthenticated requests are deterministically bucketed (primarily by client IP), including better support for deployments behind proxies via X-Forwarded-For.
Changes:
- Refactors rate-limit key generation to avoid randomized fallback keys for anonymous requests.
- Adds
X-Forwarded-Forsupport in client IP detection to improve correctness behind reverse proxies. - Adds key prefixes (
IP:,USER:,ANON:) to reduce key-space ambiguity.
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backend/src/main/java/vaultWeb/security/aspects/RateLimitAspect.java
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@aryankshl please fix the failing workflow |
DenizAltunkapan
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Apr 1, 2026
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@aryankshl Thank you for your contribution
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Summary
This PR fixes a critical logic flaw in the
RateLimitAspectthat allowed unauthenticated users (such as those on the /register and /login endpoints) to bypass rate limiting entirely.getRateLimitKeyto consistently use the client's IP address for unauthenticated users.getClientIpAddressto check the X-Forwarded-For header, ensuring rate limiting works correctly behind Docker or Nginx proxies.Linked issue
Closes #206
How to test
docker compose up -dand./mvnw spring-boot:runNotes / Risk
Bucket4jandCaffeinewhich are already present in the project.