fix: rate limit by user instead of IP for authenticated requests (#22049)

## Problem

Rate limiting by user is broken (#20857). The rate limit middleware runs
before API key extraction, so user ID is never in the request context.
This causes:
- Rate limiting falls back to IP address for all requests
- `X-Coder-Bypass-Ratelimit` header for Owners is ignored (can't verify
role without identity)

## Solution

Adds `PrecheckAPIKey`, a **root-level middleware** that fully validates
the API key on every request (expiry, OIDC refresh, DB updates, role
lookup) and stores the result in context. Added **once** at the root
router — not duplicated per route group.

### Architecture

```
Request → Root middleware stack:
  → ExtractRealIP, Logger, ...
  → PrecheckAPIKey(...)              ← validates key, stores result, never rejects
  → HandleSubdomain(apiRateLimiter)  ← workspace apps now also benefit
  → CORS, CSRF

→ /api/v2 or /api/experimental:
  → apiRateLimiter                   ← reads prechecked result from context
  → route handlers:
    → ExtractAPIKeyMW                ← reuses prechecked data, adds route-specific logic
    → handler
```

### Key design decisions

| Decision | Rationale |
|---|---|
| **Full validation, not lightweight** | Spike's review: "the whole idea
of a 'lightweight' extraction that skips security checks is
fundamentally flawed." Only fully validated keys are used for rate
limiting — expired/invalid keys fall back to IP. |
| **Structured error results** | `ValidateAPIKeyError` has a `Hard` flag
that maps to `write` vs `optionalWrite`. Hard errors (5xx, OAuth refresh
failures) surface even on optional-auth routes. Soft errors
(missing/expired token) are swallowed on optional routes. |
| **Added once at the root** | Spike's review: "Why can't we add it once
at the root?" Root placement means workspace app rate limiters also
benefit. |
| **Skip prechecked when `SessionTokenFunc != nil`** |
`workspaceapps/db.go` uses a custom `SessionTokenFunc` that extracts
from `issueReq.SessionToken`. The prechecked result may have validated a
different token. Falls back to `ValidateAPIKey` with the custom func. |
| **User status check stays in `ExtractAPIKey`** | Dormant activation is
route-specific — `ValidateAPIKey` stores status but doesn't enforce it.
|
| **Audience validation stays in `ExtractAPIKey`** | Depends on
`cfg.AccessURL` and request path, uses `optionalWrite(403)` which
depends on route config. |

### Changes

- **`coderd/httpmw/apikey.go`**:
- New `ValidateAPIKey` function — extracted core validation logic,
returns structured errors instead of writing HTTP responses
- New `PrecheckAPIKey` middleware — calls `ValidateAPIKey`, stores
result in `apiKeyPrecheckedContextKey`, never rejects
- New types: `ValidateAPIKeyConfig`, `ValidateAPIKeyResult`,
`ValidateAPIKeyError`, `APIKeyPrechecked`
- Refactored `ExtractAPIKey` — consumes prechecked result from context
(skipping redundant validation), falls back to `ValidateAPIKey` when no
precheck available
  - Removed `ExtractAPIKeyForRateLimit` and `preExtractedAPIKey`
- **`coderd/httpmw/ratelimit.go`**: Rate limiter checks
`apiKeyPrecheckedContextKey` first, then `apiKeyContextKey` fallback
(for unit tests / workspace apps), then IP
- **`coderd/coderd.go`**: Added `PrecheckAPIKey` once at root
`r.Use(...)` block, removed `ExtractAPIKeyForRateLimit` from `/api/v2`
and `/api/experimental`
- **`coderd/coderd_test.go`**: `TestRateLimitByUser` regression test
with `BypassOwner` subtest

Fixes #20857
This commit is contained in:
Kacper Sawicki
2026-03-09 13:54:31 +01:00
committed by GitHub
parent 715486465b
commit 49006685b0
4 changed files with 525 additions and 213 deletions
+10 -4
View File
@@ -926,6 +926,16 @@ func New(options *Options) *API {
loggermw.Logger(api.Logger),
singleSlashMW,
rolestore.CustomRoleMW,
// Validate API key on every request (if present) and store
// the result in context. The rate limiter reads this to key
// by user ID, and downstream ExtractAPIKeyMW reuses it to
// avoid redundant DB lookups. Never rejects requests.
httpmw.PrecheckAPIKey(httpmw.ValidateAPIKeyConfig{
DB: options.Database,
OAuth2Configs: oauthConfigs,
DisableSessionExpiryRefresh: options.DeploymentValues.Sessions.DisableExpiryRefresh.Value(),
Logger: options.Logger,
}),
httpmw.HTTPRoute, // NB: prometheusMW depends on this middleware.
prometheusMW,
// Build-Version is helpful for debugging.
@@ -1074,8 +1084,6 @@ func New(options *Options) *API {
r.NotFound(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) { httpapi.RouteNotFound(rw) })
r.Use(
// Specific routes can specify different limits, but every rate
// limit must be configurable by the admin.
apiRateLimiter,
httpmw.ReportCLITelemetry(api.Logger, options.Telemetry),
)
@@ -1168,8 +1176,6 @@ func New(options *Options) *API {
r.NotFound(func(rw http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) { httpapi.RouteNotFound(rw) })
r.Use(
// Specific routes can specify different limits, but every rate
// limit must be configurable by the admin.
apiRateLimiter,
httpmw.ReportCLITelemetry(api.Logger, options.Telemetry),
)