From 15d13b6cff422c822df2c4074f750458bb1c3d4c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Eric Li <e226li@uwaterloo.ca>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2026 18:03:09 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] fix(distribution): time out config fetches and stop leaking
 connections

Previously Nylon opened a new connection for every fetch and never disposed of
it. Additionally, established but hung tcp connections are never timed out,
also leaking over time. This fixes both issues.
---
 core/nylon_distribution.go      |  8 ++-
 core/nylon_distribution_test.go | 89 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 96 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
 create mode 100644 core/nylon_distribution_test.go

diff --git a/core/nylon_distribution.go b/core/nylon_distribution.go
index 7f2ef4e7..debc035d 100644
--- a/core/nylon_distribution.go
+++ b/core/nylon_distribution.go
@@ -8,11 +8,14 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"slices"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/encodeous/nylon/state"
 	"github.com/goccy/go-yaml"
 )
 
+var fetchConfigTimeout = 30 * time.Second
+
 // fetches and unbundles central config from url
 func FetchConfig(repoStr string, key state.NyPublicKey, maxSize int64) (*state.CentralCfg, error) {
 	return fetchConfig(repoStr, key, maxSize, state.NewDNSResolver(nil))
@@ -32,9 +35,12 @@ func fetchConfig(repoStr string, key state.NyPublicKey, maxSize int64, resolver
 		}
 		cfgBody = file
 	} else if repo.Scheme == "http" || repo.Scheme == "https" {
+		// fresh transport per fetch so dont keep connections alive
 		client := &http.Client{
+			Timeout: fetchConfigTimeout,
 			Transport: &http.Transport{
-				DialContext: resolver.DialContext,
+				DialContext:       resolver.DialContext,
+				DisableKeepAlives: true,
 			},
 		}
 		res, err := client.Get(repo.String())
diff --git a/core/nylon_distribution_test.go b/core/nylon_distribution_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b3e7b551
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/nylon_distribution_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/encodeous/nylon/state"
+	"github.com/goccy/go-yaml"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func testBundle(t *testing.T) (string, state.NyPublicKey) {
+	t.Helper()
+	key := state.GenerateKey()
+	cfg := state.CentralCfg{
+		Routers: []state.RouterCfg{{NodeCfg: state.NodeCfg{Id: "a", PubKey: state.GenerateKey().Pubkey()}}},
+	}
+	raw, err := yaml.Marshal(cfg)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	bundle, err := state.BundleConfig(string(raw), key)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return bundle, key.Pubkey()
+}
+
+// polling a repo must not leave a keep-alive connection open on every fetch
+func TestFetchConfigDoesNotLeakConnections(t *testing.T) {
+	bundle, pub := testBundle(t)
+	var mu sync.Mutex
+	open := make(map[net.Conn]struct{})
+	srv := httptest.NewUnstartedServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+		_, _ = w.Write([]byte(bundle))
+	}))
+	srv.Config.ConnState = func(c net.Conn, s http.ConnState) {
+		mu.Lock()
+		defer mu.Unlock()
+		switch s {
+		case http.StateNew:
+			open[c] = struct{}{}
+		case http.StateClosed, http.StateHijacked:
+			delete(open, c)
+		}
+	}
+	srv.Start()
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	resolver := state.NewDNSResolver(nil)
+	for range 20 {
+		_, err := fetchConfig(srv.URL, pub, 1<<20, resolver)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+	require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+		mu.Lock()
+		defer mu.Unlock()
+		return len(open) <= 1
+	}, time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond, "connections left open after 20 polls")
+}
+
+// a repo that accepts the request but never answers must not block the poller forever
+func TestFetchConfigTimesOutOnStalledRepo(t *testing.T) {
+	_, pub := testBundle(t)
+	old := fetchConfigTimeout
+	fetchConfigTimeout = 200 * time.Millisecond
+	t.Cleanup(func() { fetchConfigTimeout = old })
+	release := make(chan struct{})
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		select {
+		case <-release:
+		case <-r.Context().Done():
+		}
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+	defer close(release)
+
+	done := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() {
+		_, err := fetchConfig(srv.URL, pub, 1<<20, state.NewDNSResolver(nil))
+		done <- err
+	}()
+	select {
+	case err := <-done:
+		require.Error(t, err)
+	case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("fetchConfig still blocked on a stalled repo")
+	}
+}