Contact form antispam

pkg/config/config.go

@@ -47,13 +47,21 @@ const (
 	ChangeEmailRedisKey   = "change-email/%s"
 	SignupTokenExpires    = 24 * time.Hour // used for all tokens so far
 
-	// Rate limit
+	// Rate limits
 	RateLimitRedisKey        = "rate-limit/%s/%s" // namespace, id
 	LoginRateLimitWindow     = 1 * time.Hour
 	LoginRateLimit           = 10 // 10 failed login attempts = locked for full hour
 	LoginRateLimitCooldownAt = 3  // 3 failed attempts = start throttling
 	LoginRateLimitCooldown   = 30 * time.Second
 
+	// Contact form rate limits for logged-out users to curb spam robots:
+	// - One message can be submitted every 2 minutes
+	// - If they post 10 minutes in an hour they are paused for one hour.
+	ContactRateLimitWindow     = 1 * time.Hour
+	ContactRateLimit           = 10
+	ContactRateLimitCooldownAt = 1
+	ContactRateLimitCooldown   = 2 * time.Minute
+
 	// How frequently to refresh LastLoginAt since sessions are long-lived.
 	LastLoginAtCooldown = 8 * time.Hour
 )

pkg/config/variable.go

@@ -15,11 +15,12 @@ var Current = DefaultVariable()
 
 // Variable configuration attributes (loaded from settings.json).
 type Variable struct {
-	BaseURL    string
+	BaseURL          string
-	AdminEmail string
+	AdminEmail       string
-	Mail       Mail
+	Mail             Mail
-	Redis      Redis
+	Redis            Redis
-	Database   Database
+	Database         Database
+	UseXForwardedFor bool
 }
 
 // DefaultVariable returns the default settings.json data.

pkg/controller/index/contact.go

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"code.nonshy.com/nonshy/website/pkg/mail"
 	"code.nonshy.com/nonshy/website/pkg/markdown"
 	"code.nonshy.com/nonshy/website/pkg/models"
+	"code.nonshy.com/nonshy/website/pkg/ratelimit"
 	"code.nonshy.com/nonshy/website/pkg/session"
 	"code.nonshy.com/nonshy/website/pkg/templates"
 )
@@ -26,6 +27,8 @@ func Contact() http.HandlerFunc {
 			title           = "Contact Us"
 			message         = r.FormValue("message")
 			replyTo         = r.FormValue("email")
+			trap1           = r.FormValue("url") != "https://"
+			trap2           = r.FormValue("comment") != ""
 			tableID         int
 			tableName       string
 			tableLabel      string // front-end user feedback about selected report item
@@ -85,6 +88,32 @@ func Contact() http.HandlerFunc {
 				replyTo = currentUser.Email
 			}
 
+			// Rate limit submissions, especially for logged-out users.
+			if currentUser == nil {
+				limiter := &ratelimit.Limiter{
+					Namespace:  "contact",
+					ID:         session.RemoteAddr(r),
+					Limit:      config.ContactRateLimit,
+					Window:     config.ContactRateLimitWindow,
+					CooldownAt: config.ContactRateLimitCooldownAt,
+					Cooldown:   config.ContactRateLimitCooldown,
+				}
+
+				if err := limiter.Ping(); err != nil {
+					session.FlashError(w, r, err.Error())
+					templates.Redirect(w, r.URL.Path)
+					return
+				}
+			}
+
+			// If they have tripped the spam bot trap fields, don't save their message.
+			if trap1 || trap2 {
+				log.Error("Contact form: bot has tripped the trap fields, do not save message")
+				session.Flash(w, r, success)
+				templates.Redirect(w, r.URL.Path)
+				return
+			}
+
 			// Store feedback in the database.
 			fb := &models.Feedback{
 				Intent:    intent,

pkg/ratelimit/ratelimit.go

@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func (l *Limiter) Ping() error {
 	}
 
 	// Are we throttled?
-	if data.Pings >= l.CooldownAt {
+	if l.CooldownAt > 0 && data.Pings > l.CooldownAt {
 		data.NotBefore = now.Add(l.Cooldown)
 		if err := redis.Set(key, data, l.Window); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Couldn't set Redis key for rate limiter: %s", err)

pkg/session/session.go

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"code.nonshy.com/nonshy/website/pkg/config"
@@ -112,6 +113,19 @@ func Get(r *http.Request) *Session {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// RemoteAddr returns the user's remote IP address. If UseXForwardedFor is enabled in settings.json,
+// the HTTP header X-Forwarded-For may be returned here or otherwise the request RemoteAddr is returned.
+func RemoteAddr(r *http.Request) string {
+	if config.Current.UseXForwardedFor {
+		xff := r.Header.Get("X-Forwarded-For")
+		if len(xff) > 0 {
+			return strings.SplitN(xff, ",", 1)[0]
+		}
+	}
+
+	return strings.SplitN(r.RemoteAddr, ":", 1)[0]
+}
+
 // ReadFlashes returns and clears the Flashes and Errors for this session.
 func (s *Session) ReadFlashes(w http.ResponseWriter) (flashes, errors []string) {
 	flashes = s.Flashes

web/static/css/theme.css

@@ -67,4 +67,9 @@
 /* Collapsible cards for mobile (e.g. filter cards) */
 .card.nonshy-collapsible-mobile {
     cursor: pointer;
+}
+
+/* Hide an element */
+.nonshy-hidden {
+    display: none;
 }

web/templates/contact.html

@@ -89,6 +89,26 @@
                             </div>
                             {{end}}
 
+                            <!-- "Trap" fields for dumb automated spammer bots -->
+                            <div class="field block nonshy-hidden">
+                                <label class="label" for="url">Website URL</label>
+                                <input type="text" class="input"
+                                    name="url" id="url"
+                                    value="https://">
+                                <p class="help">
+                                    Do not touch this field.
+                                </p>
+                            </div>
+                            <div class="field block nonshy-hidden">
+                                <label class="label" for="url">Comment</label>
+                                <input type="text" class="input"
+                                    name="comment" id="comment"
+                                    value="">
+                                <p class="help">
+                                    Do not touch this field.
+                                </p>
+                            </div>
+
                             <div class="field has-text-centered">
                                 <button type="submit" class="button is-success">
                                     Send Message