Completed HIGH severity security fix (CVSS 6.5) to prevent Google Maps
API key exposure to frontend clients.
Issue: API key was embedded in photo URLs sent to frontend, allowing
potential abuse and quota exhaustion.
Solution: Implemented backend proxy endpoint for photos.
Backend Changes:
- google-maps.client.ts: Changed photoUrl to photoReference, added fetchPhoto()
- stations.types.ts: Updated type definition (photoUrl → photoReference)
- stations.controller.ts: Added getStationPhoto() proxy method
- stations.routes.ts: Added GET /api/stations/photo/:reference route
- stations.service.ts: Updated to use photoReference
- stations.repository.ts: Updated database queries and mappings
- admin controllers/services: Updated for consistency
- Created migration 003 to rename photo_url column
Frontend Changes:
- stations.types.ts: Updated type definition (photoUrl → photoReference)
- photo-utils.ts: NEW - Helper to generate proxy URLs
- StationCard.tsx: Use photoReference with helper function
Tests & Docs:
- Updated mock data to use photoReference
- Updated test expectations for proxy URLs
- Updated API.md and TESTING.md documentation
Database Migration:
- 003_rename_photo_url_to_photo_reference.sql: Renames column in station_cache
Security Benefits:
- API key never sent to frontend
- All photo requests proxied through authenticated endpoint
- Photos cached for 24 hours (Cache-Control header)
- No client-side API key exposure
Files modified: 16 files
New files: 2 (photo-utils.ts, migration 003)
Status: All 3 P0 security fixes now complete
- Fix 1: crypto.randomBytes() ✓
- Fix 2: Magic byte validation ✓
- Fix 3: API key proxy ✓
Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
