From c5ce7661f57ff6dc14fa8cc33adf60501f44a335 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Timothy Allen <tim@treehouse.org.za>
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 21:46:38 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Limit failed logins.

At most 5 per username and address, 20 per address and 50 per username
in 15 minutes.
---
 publish/login.php | 10 ++++++++-
 session.lib.php   | 57 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 66 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/publish/login.php b/publish/login.php
index fddc585..6ff2918 100644
--- a/publish/login.php
+++ b/publish/login.php
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ if ( ! isset($_SERVER['HTTPS'])) {
 }
 require_once("../session.lib.php");
 $denied = NULL;
+$wait_minutes = 0;
 $is_admin = NULL;
 if (isset($_SESSION['editor'])) {
   session_write_close();
@@ -12,6 +13,9 @@ if (isset($_SESSION['editor'])) {
   return;
 } else if (isset($_POST['login']) && !csrf_valid()) {
   $denied = TRUE;
+} else if (isset($_POST['login']) && ($wait = login_blocked_for((string)($_POST['username'] ?? ''))) > 0) {
+  $denied = TRUE;
+  $wait_minutes = (int)ceil($wait / 60);
 } else if (isset($_POST['login'])) {
   include_once('../open_db.lib.php');
   $table = "editors";
@@ -31,12 +35,14 @@ if (isset($_SESSION['editor'])) {
   // password_verify() also accepts hashes made by the old crypt() call
   if (!password_verify($compare_password, $stored_password)) {
     $denied = TRUE;
+    record_login_failure($username);
     open_db('close');
   } else {
     // Move an old hash to the current algorithm while we have the password
     rehash_password($username, $compare_password, $stored_password);
     open_db('close');
     login_editor($username);
+    clear_login_failures($username);
     // Keep user logged in with cookie, if they request it
     if (isset($_POST['remember'])) {
       create_persistent_login($username);
@@ -81,7 +87,9 @@ if (isset($_SESSION['editor'])) {
 <H1>editor login</H1>
 
 <?php 
-if ($denied) 
+if ($wait_minutes)
+  echo "<p><strong>Too many failed logins. Please try again in $wait_minutes minute".($wait_minutes == 1 ? "" : "s").".</strong></p>\n";
+else if ($denied) 
   echo "<p><strong>Access denied. Please try again.</strong></p>\n";
 ?>
 
diff --git a/session.lib.php b/session.lib.php
index 639c4d6..72422d2 100644
--- a/session.lib.php
+++ b/session.lib.php
@@ -185,3 +185,60 @@ function rehash_password($username, $password, $stored_hash) {
     error_log("xxx: could not store a new password hash for $username; widen editors.password");
   }
 }
+
+/*
+ * Login throttling. Failed logins are counted in files outside the web
+ * root, per username and address, per address, and per username. Once a
+ * count reaches its limit within LOGIN_WINDOW, further attempts are
+ * refused without checking the password.
+ */
+define('LOGIN_WINDOW', 15 * 60);   // seconds
+function login_limits($username) {
+  $username = strtolower($username);
+  $address  = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] ?? '';
+  return array(
+    "user-ip:$username|$address" => 5,
+    "ip:$address"                => 20,
+    "user:$username"             => 50,
+  );
+}
+
+function login_throttle_file($key) {
+  $dir = sys_get_temp_dir() . '/xxx-login-throttle';
+  if (!is_dir($dir))
+    @mkdir($dir, 0700, TRUE);
+  return $dir . '/' . hash('sha256', $key);
+}
+
+// Times of the failed logins for $key within the window
+function login_failures($key) {
+  $file  = login_throttle_file($key);
+  $times = is_file($file) ? json_decode((string)@file_get_contents($file), TRUE) : array();
+  $since = time() - LOGIN_WINDOW;
+  return array_values(array_filter(is_array($times) ? $times : array(),
+    function ($time) use ($since) { return is_int($time) && $time > $since; }));
+}
+
+// Seconds until $username may try to log in again from this address, or 0
+function login_blocked_for($username) {
+  $wait = 0;
+  foreach (login_limits($username) as $key => $limit) {
+    $times = login_failures($key);
+    if (count($times) >= $limit)
+      $wait = max($wait, min($times) + LOGIN_WINDOW - time());
+  }
+  return $wait;
+}
+
+function record_login_failure($username) {
+  foreach (array_keys(login_limits($username)) as $key) {
+    $times   = login_failures($key);
+    $times[] = time();
+    file_put_contents(login_throttle_file($key), json_encode($times), LOCK_EX);
+  }
+}
+
+function clear_login_failures($username) {
+  $keys = array_keys(login_limits($username));
+  @unlink(login_throttle_file($keys[0]));   // this username from this address
+}