feat: Refactor authentication and token management

- Updated EchoHubConnection to use ApiClient for token retrieval.
- Introduced ValidationConstants for common validation patterns and limits.
- Enhanced AuthDtos with refresh token support and expiration details.
- Added new ChatDtos for channel creation and topic updates.
- Created CommonDtos for error and paginated responses.
- Implemented RefreshToken model for managing refresh tokens.
- Modified JwtTokenService to generate and hash refresh tokens.
- Updated AuthController to handle registration, login, token refresh, and logout with improved error handling.
- Enhanced ChannelsController with channel creation, topic updates, and pagination for channel retrieval.
- Added FilesController for file management with rate limiting.
- Improved UsersController for profile updates and avatar uploads with validation.
- Integrated rate limiting across controllers to manage request load.
- Introduced FileValidationHelper for validating uploaded image files.
- Updated database context to include RefreshToken and enforce unique constraints.
- Enhanced ChatHub for improved channel and message handling with validation.
- Updated Program.cs to configure rate limiting and CORS policies.

src/EchoHub.Client/Program.cs

@@ -243,15 +243,24 @@ public static class Program
 
         _commandHandler.OnSetTopic += async (topic) =>
         {
-            // Topic setting would go through an API endpoint if available.
+            if (_apiClient is null)
-            // For now, show as a system message.
+                return;
-            await Task.CompletedTask;
+
-            _app.Invoke(() =>
-            {
             var channel = _mainWindow!.CurrentChannel;
-                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(channel))
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(channel))
-                    _mainWindow.AddSystemMessage(channel, $"Topic set to: {topic}");
+                return;
-            });
+
+            try
+            {
+                await _apiClient.UpdateChannelTopicAsync(channel, topic);
+                _app.Invoke(() =>
+                    _mainWindow!.AddSystemMessage(channel, $"Topic set to: {topic}"));
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                _app.Invoke(() =>
+                    _mainWindow!.ShowError($"Failed to set topic: {ex.Message}"));
+            }
         };
 
         _commandHandler.OnListUsers += async () =>
@@ -340,7 +349,7 @@ public static class Program
                     await _connection.DisposeAsync();
                 }
 
-                _connection = new EchoHubConnection(result.ServerUrl, _apiClient.Token!);
+                _connection = new EchoHubConnection(result.ServerUrl, _apiClient);
                 WireConnectionEvents(_connection);
 
                 await _connection.ConnectAsync();

src/EchoHub.Client/Services/ApiClient.cs

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+using System.Net;
 using System.Net.Http.Headers;
 using System.Net.Http.Json;
 using System.Text.Json;
@@ -8,9 +9,12 @@ namespace EchoHub.Client.Services;
 public sealed class ApiClient : IDisposable
 {
     private readonly HttpClient _http;
-    private string? _token;
+    private string? _accessToken;
+    private string? _refreshToken;
+    private DateTimeOffset _expiresAt;
 
-    public string? Token => _token;
+    public string? Token => _accessToken;
+    public string? RefreshToken => _refreshToken;
     public string BaseUrl { get; }
 
     public ApiClient(string baseUrl)
@@ -31,7 +35,7 @@ public sealed class ApiClient : IDisposable
         var result = await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<LoginResponse>()
             ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Registration returned empty response.");
 
-        SetToken(result.Token);
+        SetTokens(result);
         return result;
     }
 
@@ -44,15 +48,77 @@ public sealed class ApiClient : IDisposable
         var result = await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<LoginResponse>()
             ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Login returned empty response.");
 
-        SetToken(result.Token);
+        SetTokens(result);
         return result;
     }
 
+    public async Task RefreshTokenAsync()
+    {
+        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(_refreshToken))
+            throw new InvalidOperationException("No refresh token available.");
+
+        var request = new RefreshRequest(_refreshToken);
+        var response = await _http.PostAsJsonAsync("/api/auth/refresh", request);
+        await EnsureSuccessAsync(response);
+
+        var result = await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<LoginResponse>()
+            ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Token refresh returned empty response.");
+
+        SetTokens(result);
+    }
+
+    public async Task LogoutAsync()
+    {
+        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(_refreshToken))
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                var request = new RefreshRequest(_refreshToken);
+                await _http.PostAsJsonAsync("/api/auth/logout", request);
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                // Best-effort logout
+            }
+        }
+
+        _accessToken = null;
+        _refreshToken = null;
+        _http.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization = null;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns a valid access token, refreshing if expired.
+    /// Used by EchoHubConnection for SignalR token provider.
+    /// </summary>
+    public async Task<string?> GetValidTokenAsync()
+    {
+        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(_accessToken))
+            return null;
+
+        // Refresh if token expires within 60 seconds
+        if (DateTimeOffset.UtcNow >= _expiresAt.AddSeconds(-60) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(_refreshToken))
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                await RefreshTokenAsync();
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                // Return current token and let the caller handle auth failure
+            }
+        }
+
+        return _accessToken;
+    }
+
     public async Task<List<ChannelDto>> GetChannelsAsync()
     {
         EnsureAuthenticated();
-        var channels = await _http.GetFromJsonAsync<List<ChannelDto>>("/api/channels");
+        var response = await AuthenticatedGetAsync("/api/channels");
-        return channels ?? [];
+        await EnsureSuccessAsync(response);
+        var paginated = await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<PaginatedResponse<ChannelDto>>();
+        return paginated?.Items ?? [];
     }
 
     public async Task<ServerStatusDto?> GetServerInfoAsync()
@@ -64,15 +130,17 @@ public sealed class ApiClient : IDisposable
     public async Task<UserProfileDto?> GetUserProfileAsync(string username)
     {
         EnsureAuthenticated();
-        var profile = await _http.GetFromJsonAsync<UserProfileDto>($"/api/users/{Uri.EscapeDataString(username)}/profile");
+        var response = await AuthenticatedGetAsync($"/api/users/{Uri.EscapeDataString(username)}/profile");
-        return profile;
+        await EnsureSuccessAsync(response);
+        return await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<UserProfileDto>();
     }
 
     public async Task<UserProfileDto?> UpdateProfileAsync(UpdateProfileRequest request)
     {
         EnsureAuthenticated();
-        var response = await _http.PutAsJsonAsync("/api/users/profile", request);
+        var response = await AuthenticatedRequestAsync(() =>
-        response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
+            _http.PutAsJsonAsync("/api/users/profile", request));
+        await EnsureSuccessAsync(response);
         return await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<UserProfileDto>();
     }
 
@@ -84,10 +152,11 @@ public sealed class ApiClient : IDisposable
         streamContent.Headers.ContentType = new MediaTypeHeaderValue(GetContentType(fileName));
         content.Add(streamContent, "file", fileName);
 
-        var response = await _http.PostAsync("/api/users/avatar", content);
+        var response = await AuthenticatedRequestAsync(() =>
-        response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
+            _http.PostAsync("/api/users/avatar", content));
+        await EnsureSuccessAsync(response);
         var result = await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<AvatarUploadResponse>();
-        return result?.AsciiArt;
+        return result?.AvatarAscii;
     }
 
     public async Task<MessageDto?> UploadFileAsync(string channelName, Stream fileStream, string fileName)
@@ -98,15 +167,92 @@ public sealed class ApiClient : IDisposable
         streamContent.Headers.ContentType = new MediaTypeHeaderValue(GetContentType(fileName));
         content.Add(streamContent, "file", fileName);
 
-        var response = await _http.PostAsync($"/api/channels/{Uri.EscapeDataString(channelName)}/upload", content);
+        var response = await AuthenticatedRequestAsync(() =>
-        response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
+            _http.PostAsync($"/api/channels/{Uri.EscapeDataString(channelName)}/upload", content));
+        await EnsureSuccessAsync(response);
         return await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<MessageDto>();
     }
 
-    private void SetToken(string token)
+    public async Task<ChannelDto?> CreateChannelAsync(string name, string? topic = null)
     {
-        _token = token;
+        EnsureAuthenticated();
-        _http.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization = new AuthenticationHeaderValue("Bearer", token);
+        var request = new CreateChannelRequest(name, topic);
+        var response = await AuthenticatedRequestAsync(() =>
+            _http.PostAsJsonAsync("/api/channels", request));
+        await EnsureSuccessAsync(response);
+        return await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<ChannelDto>();
+    }
+
+    public async Task<ChannelDto?> UpdateChannelTopicAsync(string channelName, string? topic)
+    {
+        EnsureAuthenticated();
+        var request = new UpdateTopicRequest(topic);
+        var response = await AuthenticatedRequestAsync(() =>
+            _http.PutAsJsonAsync($"/api/channels/{Uri.EscapeDataString(channelName)}/topic", request));
+        await EnsureSuccessAsync(response);
+        return await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<ChannelDto>();
+    }
+
+    public async Task DeleteChannelAsync(string channelName)
+    {
+        EnsureAuthenticated();
+        var response = await AuthenticatedRequestAsync(() =>
+            _http.DeleteAsync($"/api/channels/{Uri.EscapeDataString(channelName)}"));
+        await EnsureSuccessAsync(response);
+    }
+
+    private void SetTokens(LoginResponse result)
+    {
+        _accessToken = result.Token;
+        _refreshToken = result.RefreshToken;
+        _expiresAt = result.ExpiresAt;
+        _http.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization = new AuthenticationHeaderValue("Bearer", _accessToken);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Performs a GET request with automatic token refresh on 401.
+    /// </summary>
+    private async Task<HttpResponseMessage> AuthenticatedGetAsync(string url)
+    {
+        var response = await _http.GetAsync(url);
+
+        if (response.StatusCode == HttpStatusCode.Unauthorized && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(_refreshToken))
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                await RefreshTokenAsync();
+                response = await _http.GetAsync(url);
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                // Refresh failed, return original 401
+            }
+        }
+
+        return response;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Performs a request with automatic token refresh on 401.
+    /// </summary>
+    private async Task<HttpResponseMessage> AuthenticatedRequestAsync(Func<Task<HttpResponseMessage>> requestFactory)
+    {
+        var response = await requestFactory();
+
+        if (response.StatusCode == HttpStatusCode.Unauthorized && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(_refreshToken))
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                await RefreshTokenAsync();
+                response = await requestFactory();
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                // Refresh failed, return original 401
+            }
+        }
+
+        return response;
     }
 
     private static async Task EnsureSuccessAsync(HttpResponseMessage response)
@@ -114,14 +260,12 @@ public sealed class ApiClient : IDisposable
         if (response.IsSuccessStatusCode)
             return;
 
-        // Try to extract a meaningful error message from the response body
         var errorMessage = $"{(int)response.StatusCode} {response.ReasonPhrase}";
         try
         {
             var body = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
             if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(body))
             {
-                // Try to parse {"error": "..."} format
                 using var doc = JsonDocument.Parse(body);
                 if (doc.RootElement.TryGetProperty("error", out var errorProp) ||
                     doc.RootElement.TryGetProperty("Error", out errorProp))
@@ -144,7 +288,7 @@ public sealed class ApiClient : IDisposable
 
     private void EnsureAuthenticated()
     {
-        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(_token))
+        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(_accessToken))
             throw new InvalidOperationException("Not authenticated. Call LoginAsync or RegisterAsync first.");
     }
 
@@ -168,5 +312,3 @@ public sealed class ApiClient : IDisposable
         _http.Dispose();
     }
 }
-
-internal record AvatarUploadResponse(string AsciiArt);

src/EchoHub.Client/Services/EchoHubConnection.cs

@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@ public sealed class EchoHubConnection : IAsyncDisposable
 
     public bool IsConnected => _connection.State == HubConnectionState.Connected;
 
-    public EchoHubConnection(string serverUrl, string jwtToken)
+    public EchoHubConnection(string serverUrl, ApiClient apiClient)
     {
         var hubUrl = serverUrl.TrimEnd('/') + HubConstants.ChatHubPath;
 
         _connection = new HubConnectionBuilder()
             .WithUrl(hubUrl, options =>
             {
-                options.AccessTokenProvider = () => Task.FromResult<string?>(jwtToken);
+                options.AccessTokenProvider = () => apiClient.GetValidTokenAsync();
             })
             .WithAutomaticReconnect()
             .Build();

src/EchoHub.Core/Constants/ValidationConstants.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
+
+namespace EchoHub.Core.Constants;
+
+public static partial class ValidationConstants
+{
+    public const string UsernamePattern = @"^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{3,50}$";
+    public const string ChannelNamePattern = @"^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{2,100}$";
+    public const string HexColorPattern = @"^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$";
+
+    public const int MaxPasswordLength = 128;
+    public const int MaxDisplayNameLength = 100;
+    public const int MaxBioLength = 500;
+    public const int MaxStatusMessageLength = 100;
+    public const int MaxChannelTopicLength = 500;
+    public const int MaxHistoryCount = 100;
+
+    [GeneratedRegex(UsernamePattern)]
+    public static partial Regex UsernameRegex();
+
+    [GeneratedRegex(ChannelNamePattern)]
+    public static partial Regex ChannelNameRegex();
+
+    [GeneratedRegex(HexColorPattern)]
+    public static partial Regex HexColorRegex();
+}

src/EchoHub.Core/DTOs/AuthDtos.cs

@@ -4,4 +4,12 @@ public record RegisterRequest(string Username, string Password, string? DisplayN
 
 public record LoginRequest(string Username, string Password);
 
-public record LoginResponse(string Token, string Username, string? DisplayName, string? NicknameColor);
+public record LoginResponse(
+    string Token,
+    string RefreshToken,
+    DateTimeOffset ExpiresAt,
+    string Username,
+    string? DisplayName,
+    string? NicknameColor);
+
+public record RefreshRequest(string RefreshToken);

src/EchoHub.Core/DTOs/ChatDtos.cs

@@ -29,3 +29,7 @@ public record UserDto(
     DateTimeOffset LastSeenAt);
 
 public record SendMessageRequest(string ChannelName, string Content);
+
+public record CreateChannelRequest(string Name, string? Topic = null);
+
+public record UpdateTopicRequest(string? Topic);

src/EchoHub.Core/DTOs/CommonDtos.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+namespace EchoHub.Core.DTOs;
+
+public record ErrorResponse(string Error, string? Detail = null);
+
+public record PaginatedResponse<T>(List<T> Items, int Total, int Offset, int Limit);

src/EchoHub.Core/DTOs/ProfileDtos.cs

@@ -29,3 +29,5 @@ public record UserPresenceDto(
     string? NicknameColor,
     UserStatus Status,
     string? StatusMessage);
+
+public record AvatarUploadResponse(string AvatarAscii);

src/EchoHub.Core/Models/RefreshToken.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+namespace EchoHub.Core.Models;
+
+public class RefreshToken
+{
+    public Guid Id { get; set; }
+    public required string TokenHash { get; set; }
+    public Guid UserId { get; set; }
+    public DateTimeOffset ExpiresAt { get; set; }
+    public DateTimeOffset CreatedAt { get; set; } = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow;
+    public DateTimeOffset? RevokedAt { get; set; }
+
+    public bool IsExpired => DateTimeOffset.UtcNow >= ExpiresAt;
+    public bool IsRevoked => RevokedAt is not null;
+    public bool IsActive => !IsExpired && !IsRevoked;
+
+    public User? User { get; set; }
+}

src/EchoHub.Server/Auth/JwtTokenService.cs

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System.IdentityModel.Tokens.Jwt;
 using System.Security.Claims;
+using System.Security.Cryptography;
 using System.Text;
 using EchoHub.Core.Models;
 using Microsoft.IdentityModel.Tokens;
@@ -15,10 +16,14 @@ public class JwtTokenService(IConfiguration configuration)
     private readonly string _audience = configuration["Jwt:Audience"]
         ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Jwt:Audience is not configured.");
 
-    public string GenerateToken(User user)
+    private static readonly TimeSpan AccessTokenLifetime = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(15);
+    public static readonly TimeSpan RefreshTokenLifetime = TimeSpan.FromDays(30);
+
+    public (string Token, DateTimeOffset ExpiresAt) GenerateAccessToken(User user)
     {
         var key = new SymmetricSecurityKey(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(_secret));
         var credentials = new SigningCredentials(key, SecurityAlgorithms.HmacSha256);
+        var expiresAt = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.Add(AccessTokenLifetime);
 
         Claim[] claims =
         [
@@ -32,9 +37,23 @@ public class JwtTokenService(IConfiguration configuration)
             issuer: _issuer,
             audience: _audience,
             claims: claims,
-            expires: DateTime.UtcNow.AddDays(7),
+            expires: expiresAt.UtcDateTime,
             signingCredentials: credentials);
 
-        return new JwtSecurityTokenHandler().WriteToken(token);
+        return (new JwtSecurityTokenHandler().WriteToken(token), expiresAt);
+    }
+
+    public static string GenerateRefreshToken()
+    {
+        var randomBytes = new byte[64];
+        using var rng = RandomNumberGenerator.Create();
+        rng.GetBytes(randomBytes);
+        return Convert.ToBase64String(randomBytes);
+    }
+
+    public static string HashToken(string token)
+    {
+        var bytes = SHA256.HashData(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(token));
+        return Convert.ToBase64String(bytes);
     }
 }

src/EchoHub.Server/Controllers/AuthController.cs

@@ -1,32 +1,38 @@
+using EchoHub.Core.Constants;
 using EchoHub.Core.DTOs;
 using EchoHub.Core.Models;
 using EchoHub.Server.Auth;
 using EchoHub.Server.Data;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.RateLimiting;
 using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
 
 namespace EchoHub.Server.Controllers;
 
 [ApiController]
 [Route("api/auth")]
+[EnableRateLimiting("auth")]
 public class AuthController(EchoHubDbContext db, JwtTokenService jwt) : ControllerBase
 {
     [HttpPost("register")]
     public async Task<IActionResult> Register([FromBody] RegisterRequest request)
     {
         if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(request.Username) || string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(request.Password))
-            return BadRequest(new { Error = "Username and password are required." });
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("Username and password are required."));
 
-        if (request.Username.Length < 3 || request.Username.Length > 50)
+        if (!ValidationConstants.UsernameRegex().IsMatch(request.Username))
-            return BadRequest(new { Error = "Username must be between 3 and 50 characters." });
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("Username must be 3-50 characters and contain only letters, digits, underscores, or hyphens."));
 
         if (request.Password.Length < 6)
-            return BadRequest(new { Error = "Password must be at least 6 characters." });
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("Password must be at least 6 characters."));
+
+        if (request.Password.Length > ValidationConstants.MaxPasswordLength)
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse($"Password must not exceed {ValidationConstants.MaxPasswordLength} characters."));
 
         var normalizedUsername = request.Username.ToLowerInvariant().Trim();
 
         if (await db.Users.AnyAsync(u => u.Username == normalizedUsername))
-            return Conflict(new { Error = "Username is already taken." });
+            return Conflict(new ErrorResponse("Username is already taken."));
 
         var user = new User
         {
@@ -39,28 +45,102 @@ public class AuthController(EchoHubDbContext db, JwtTokenService jwt) : Controll
         db.Users.Add(user);
         await db.SaveChangesAsync();
 
-        var token = jwt.GenerateToken(user);
+        var (accessToken, expiresAt) = jwt.GenerateAccessToken(user);
+        var refreshToken = JwtTokenService.GenerateRefreshToken();
 
-        return Ok(new LoginResponse(token, user.Username, user.DisplayName, user.NicknameColor));
+        db.RefreshTokens.Add(new RefreshToken
+        {
+            Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
+            TokenHash = JwtTokenService.HashToken(refreshToken),
+            UserId = user.Id,
+            ExpiresAt = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.Add(JwtTokenService.RefreshTokenLifetime),
+        });
+        await db.SaveChangesAsync();
+
+        return Ok(new LoginResponse(accessToken, refreshToken, expiresAt, user.Username, user.DisplayName, user.NicknameColor));
     }
 
     [HttpPost("login")]
     public async Task<IActionResult> Login([FromBody] LoginRequest request)
     {
         if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(request.Username) || string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(request.Password))
-            return BadRequest(new { Error = "Username and password are required." });
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("Username and password are required."));
 
         var normalizedUsername = request.Username.ToLowerInvariant().Trim();
         var user = await db.Users.FirstOrDefaultAsync(u => u.Username == normalizedUsername);
 
         if (user is null || !BCrypt.Net.BCrypt.Verify(request.Password, user.PasswordHash))
-            return Unauthorized();
+            return Unauthorized(new ErrorResponse("Invalid username or password."));
 
         user.LastSeenAt = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow;
         await db.SaveChangesAsync();
 
-        var token = jwt.GenerateToken(user);
+        var (accessToken, expiresAt) = jwt.GenerateAccessToken(user);
+        var refreshToken = JwtTokenService.GenerateRefreshToken();
 
-        return Ok(new LoginResponse(token, user.Username, user.DisplayName, user.NicknameColor));
+        db.RefreshTokens.Add(new RefreshToken
+        {
+            Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
+            TokenHash = JwtTokenService.HashToken(refreshToken),
+            UserId = user.Id,
+            ExpiresAt = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.Add(JwtTokenService.RefreshTokenLifetime),
+        });
+        await db.SaveChangesAsync();
+
+        return Ok(new LoginResponse(accessToken, refreshToken, expiresAt, user.Username, user.DisplayName, user.NicknameColor));
+    }
+
+    [HttpPost("refresh")]
+    public async Task<IActionResult> Refresh([FromBody] RefreshRequest request)
+    {
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(request.RefreshToken))
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("Refresh token is required."));
+
+        var tokenHash = JwtTokenService.HashToken(request.RefreshToken);
+        var storedToken = await db.RefreshTokens
+            .Include(r => r.User)
+            .FirstOrDefaultAsync(r => r.TokenHash == tokenHash);
+
+        if (storedToken is null || !storedToken.IsActive || storedToken.User is null)
+            return Unauthorized(new ErrorResponse("Invalid or expired refresh token."));
+
+        // Revoke old refresh token (rotation)
+        storedToken.RevokedAt = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow;
+
+        var user = storedToken.User;
+        user.LastSeenAt = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow;
+
+        // Issue new token pair
+        var (accessToken, expiresAt) = jwt.GenerateAccessToken(user);
+        var newRefreshToken = JwtTokenService.GenerateRefreshToken();
+
+        db.RefreshTokens.Add(new RefreshToken
+        {
+            Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
+            TokenHash = JwtTokenService.HashToken(newRefreshToken),
+            UserId = user.Id,
+            ExpiresAt = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.Add(JwtTokenService.RefreshTokenLifetime),
+        });
+        await db.SaveChangesAsync();
+
+        return Ok(new LoginResponse(accessToken, newRefreshToken, expiresAt, user.Username, user.DisplayName, user.NicknameColor));
+    }
+
+    [HttpPost("logout")]
+    public async Task<IActionResult> Logout([FromBody] RefreshRequest request)
+    {
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(request.RefreshToken))
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("Refresh token is required."));
+
+        var tokenHash = JwtTokenService.HashToken(request.RefreshToken);
+        var storedToken = await db.RefreshTokens.FirstOrDefaultAsync(r => r.TokenHash == tokenHash);
+
+        if (storedToken is not null && storedToken.IsActive)
+        {
+            storedToken.RevokedAt = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow;
+            await db.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        return Ok();
     }
 }

src/EchoHub.Server/Controllers/ChannelsController.cs

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ using EchoHub.Server.Hubs;
 using EchoHub.Server.Services;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authorization;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.RateLimiting;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.SignalR;
 using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
 
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ namespace EchoHub.Server.Controllers;
 [ApiController]
 [Route("api/channels")]
 [Authorize]
+[EnableRateLimiting("general")]
 public class ChannelsController(
     EchoHubDbContext db,
     FileStorageService fileStorage,
@@ -23,9 +25,17 @@ public class ChannelsController(
     IHubContext<ChatHub, IEchoHubClient> hubContext) : ControllerBase
 {
     [HttpGet]
-    public async Task<IActionResult> GetChannels()
+    public async Task<IActionResult> GetChannels([FromQuery] int offset = 0, [FromQuery] int limit = 50)
     {
+        offset = Math.Max(0, offset);
+        limit = Math.Clamp(limit, 1, 100);
+
+        var total = await db.Channels.CountAsync();
+
         var channels = await db.Channels
+            .OrderBy(c => c.Name)
+            .Skip(offset)
+            .Take(limit)
             .Select(c => new ChannelDto(
                 c.Id,
                 c.Name,
@@ -34,45 +44,146 @@ public class ChannelsController(
                 c.CreatedAt))
             .ToListAsync();
 
-        return Ok(channels);
+        return Ok(new PaginatedResponse<ChannelDto>(channels, total, offset, limit));
+    }
+
+    [HttpPost]
+    public async Task<IActionResult> CreateChannel([FromBody] CreateChannelRequest request)
+    {
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(request.Name))
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("Channel name is required."));
+
+        var channelName = request.Name.ToLowerInvariant().Trim();
+
+        if (!ValidationConstants.ChannelNameRegex().IsMatch(channelName))
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("Channel name must be 2-100 characters and contain only letters, digits, underscores, or hyphens."));
+
+        if (await db.Channels.AnyAsync(c => c.Name == channelName))
+            return Conflict(new ErrorResponse($"Channel '{channelName}' already exists."));
+
+        var userIdClaim = User.FindFirstValue(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier);
+        if (userIdClaim is null)
+            return Unauthorized(new ErrorResponse("Authentication required."));
+
+        var channel = new Channel
+        {
+            Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
+            Name = channelName,
+            Topic = request.Topic?.Trim(),
+            CreatedByUserId = Guid.Parse(userIdClaim),
+        };
+
+        db.Channels.Add(channel);
+        await db.SaveChangesAsync();
+
+        var dto = new ChannelDto(channel.Id, channel.Name, channel.Topic, 0, channel.CreatedAt);
+        await hubContext.Clients.All.ChannelUpdated(dto);
+
+        return Created($"/api/channels/{channelName}", dto);
+    }
+
+    [HttpPut("{channel}/topic")]
+    public async Task<IActionResult> UpdateTopic(string channel, [FromBody] UpdateTopicRequest request)
+    {
+        var userIdClaim = User.FindFirstValue(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier);
+        if (userIdClaim is null)
+            return Unauthorized(new ErrorResponse("Authentication required."));
+
+        var channelName = channel.ToLowerInvariant().Trim();
+        var dbChannel = await db.Channels.FirstOrDefaultAsync(c => c.Name == channelName);
+
+        if (dbChannel is null)
+            return NotFound(new ErrorResponse($"Channel '{channelName}' does not exist."));
+
+        if (dbChannel.CreatedByUserId != Guid.Parse(userIdClaim))
+            return StatusCode(403, new ErrorResponse("Only the channel creator can update the topic."));
+
+        if (request.Topic is not null && request.Topic.Length > ValidationConstants.MaxChannelTopicLength)
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse($"Topic must not exceed {ValidationConstants.MaxChannelTopicLength} characters."));
+
+        dbChannel.Topic = request.Topic?.Trim();
+        await db.SaveChangesAsync();
+
+        var messageCount = await db.Messages.CountAsync(m => m.ChannelId == dbChannel.Id);
+        var dto = new ChannelDto(dbChannel.Id, dbChannel.Name, dbChannel.Topic, messageCount, dbChannel.CreatedAt);
+        await hubContext.Clients.Group(channelName).ChannelUpdated(dto);
+
+        return Ok(dto);
+    }
+
+    [HttpDelete("{channel}")]
+    public async Task<IActionResult> DeleteChannel(string channel)
+    {
+        var userIdClaim = User.FindFirstValue(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier);
+        if (userIdClaim is null)
+            return Unauthorized(new ErrorResponse("Authentication required."));
+
+        var channelName = channel.ToLowerInvariant().Trim();
+
+        if (channelName == HubConstants.DefaultChannel)
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse($"The '{HubConstants.DefaultChannel}' channel cannot be deleted."));
+
+        var dbChannel = await db.Channels.FirstOrDefaultAsync(c => c.Name == channelName);
+
+        if (dbChannel is null)
+            return NotFound(new ErrorResponse($"Channel '{channelName}' does not exist."));
+
+        if (dbChannel.CreatedByUserId != Guid.Parse(userIdClaim))
+            return StatusCode(403, new ErrorResponse("Only the channel creator can delete the channel."));
+
+        db.Channels.Remove(dbChannel);
+        await db.SaveChangesAsync();
+
+        return NoContent();
     }
 
     [HttpPost("{channel}/upload")]
+    [EnableRateLimiting("upload")]
     public async Task<IActionResult> Upload(string channel)
     {
         var userIdClaim = User.FindFirstValue(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier);
         var usernameClaim = User.FindFirstValue("username");
         if (userIdClaim is null || usernameClaim is null)
-            return Unauthorized();
+            return Unauthorized(new ErrorResponse("Authentication required."));
 
         var userId = Guid.Parse(userIdClaim);
         var channelName = channel.ToLowerInvariant().Trim();
 
+        if (!ValidationConstants.ChannelNameRegex().IsMatch(channelName))
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("Invalid channel name format."));
+
         var dbChannel = await db.Channels.FirstOrDefaultAsync(c => c.Name == channelName);
         if (dbChannel is null)
-            return NotFound(new { Error = $"Channel '{channelName}' does not exist." });
+            return NotFound(new ErrorResponse($"Channel '{channelName}' does not exist."));
 
         if (!Request.HasFormContentType || Request.Form.Files.Count == 0)
-            return BadRequest(new { Error = "No file uploaded." });
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("No file uploaded."));
 
         var file = Request.Form.Files[0];
 
         if (file.Length > HubConstants.MaxFileSizeBytes)
-            return BadRequest(new { Error = $"File size exceeds maximum of {HubConstants.MaxFileSizeBytes / (1024 * 1024)} MB." });
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse($"File size exceeds maximum of {HubConstants.MaxFileSizeBytes / (1024 * 1024)} MB."));
 
+        // Detect if file is an image by checking magic bytes
         using var stream = file.OpenReadStream();
+        var isImage = FileValidationHelper.IsValidImage(stream);
+
         var (fileId, filePath) = await fileStorage.SaveFileAsync(stream, file.FileName);
 
-        var imageExtensions = new[] { ".jpg", ".jpeg", ".png", ".gif", ".webp" };
-        var extension = Path.GetExtension(file.FileName).ToLowerInvariant();
-        var isImage = imageExtensions.Contains(extension);
-
         var messageType = isImage ? MessageType.Image : MessageType.File;
-        var content = isImage
+        string content;
-            ? asciiService.ConvertToAscii(System.IO.File.OpenRead(filePath))
-            : file.FileName;
-        var attachmentUrl = $"/api/files/{fileId}";
 
+        if (isImage)
+        {
+            using var imageStream = System.IO.File.OpenRead(filePath);
+            content = asciiService.ConvertToAscii(imageStream);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            content = file.FileName;
+        }
+
+        var attachmentUrl = $"/api/files/{fileId}";
         var sender = await db.Users.FindAsync(userId);
 
         var message = new Message
@@ -102,7 +213,6 @@ public class ChannelsController(
             file.FileName,
             message.SentAt);
 
-        // Broadcast to all clients in the channel via SignalR
         await hubContext.Clients.Group(channelName).ReceiveMessage(messageDto);
 
         return Ok(messageDto);

src/EchoHub.Server/Controllers/FilesController.cs

@@ -1,19 +1,27 @@
+using EchoHub.Core.DTOs;
 using EchoHub.Server.Services;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authorization;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.RateLimiting;
 
 namespace EchoHub.Server.Controllers;
 
 [ApiController]
 [Route("api/files")]
+[Authorize]
+[EnableRateLimiting("general")]
 public class FilesController(FileStorageService fileStorage) : ControllerBase
 {
     [HttpGet("{fileId}")]
     public IActionResult GetFile(string fileId)
     {
+        if (!Guid.TryParse(fileId, out _))
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("Invalid file identifier."));
+
         var filePath = fileStorage.GetFilePath(fileId);
 
         if (filePath is null)
-            return NotFound(new { Error = "File not found." });
+            return NotFound(new ErrorResponse("File not found."));
 
         var contentType = Path.GetExtension(filePath).ToLowerInvariant() switch
         {

src/EchoHub.Server/Controllers/UsersController.cs

@@ -5,12 +5,15 @@ using EchoHub.Server.Data;
 using EchoHub.Server.Services;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authorization;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.RateLimiting;
 using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
 
 namespace EchoHub.Server.Controllers;
 
 [ApiController]
 [Route("api/users")]
+[Authorize]
+[EnableRateLimiting("general")]
 public class UsersController(EchoHubDbContext db, ImageToAsciiService asciiService) : ControllerBase
 {
     [HttpGet("{username}/profile")]
@@ -20,33 +23,45 @@ public class UsersController(EchoHubDbContext db, ImageToAsciiService asciiServi
         var user = await db.Users.FirstOrDefaultAsync(u => u.Username == normalizedUsername);
 
         if (user is null)
-            return NotFound(new { Error = "User not found." });
+            return NotFound(new ErrorResponse("User not found."));
 
         return Ok(ToProfileDto(user));
     }
 
     [HttpPut("profile")]
-    [Authorize]
     public async Task<IActionResult> UpdateProfile([FromBody] UpdateProfileRequest request)
     {
         var userIdClaim = User.FindFirstValue(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier);
         if (userIdClaim is null)
-            return Unauthorized();
+            return Unauthorized(new ErrorResponse("Authentication required."));
 
         var userId = Guid.Parse(userIdClaim);
         var user = await db.Users.FindAsync(userId);
 
         if (user is null)
-            return NotFound(new { Error = "User not found." });
+            return NotFound(new ErrorResponse("User not found."));
 
         if (request.DisplayName is not null)
+        {
+            if (request.DisplayName.Length > ValidationConstants.MaxDisplayNameLength)
+                return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse($"Display name must not exceed {ValidationConstants.MaxDisplayNameLength} characters."));
             user.DisplayName = request.DisplayName.Trim();
+        }
 
         if (request.Bio is not null)
+        {
+            if (request.Bio.Length > ValidationConstants.MaxBioLength)
+                return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse($"Bio must not exceed {ValidationConstants.MaxBioLength} characters."));
             user.Bio = request.Bio.Trim();
+        }
 
         if (request.NicknameColor is not null)
-            user.NicknameColor = request.NicknameColor.Trim();
+        {
+            var color = request.NicknameColor.Trim();
+            if (color.Length > 0 && !ValidationConstants.HexColorRegex().IsMatch(color))
+                return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("Nickname color must be a valid hex color (e.g. #FF5500)."));
+            user.NicknameColor = color.Length > 0 ? color : null;
+        }
 
         await db.SaveChangesAsync();
 
@@ -54,34 +69,38 @@ public class UsersController(EchoHubDbContext db, ImageToAsciiService asciiServi
     }
 
     [HttpPost("avatar")]
-    [Authorize]
+    [EnableRateLimiting("upload")]
     public async Task<IActionResult> UploadAvatar()
     {
         var userIdClaim = User.FindFirstValue(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier);
         if (userIdClaim is null)
-            return Unauthorized();
+            return Unauthorized(new ErrorResponse("Authentication required."));
 
         var userId = Guid.Parse(userIdClaim);
         var user = await db.Users.FindAsync(userId);
 
         if (user is null)
-            return NotFound(new { Error = "User not found." });
+            return NotFound(new ErrorResponse("User not found."));
 
         if (!Request.HasFormContentType || Request.Form.Files.Count == 0)
-            return BadRequest(new { Error = "No file uploaded." });
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("No file uploaded."));
 
         var file = Request.Form.Files[0];
 
         if (file.Length > HubConstants.MaxAvatarSizeBytes)
-            return BadRequest(new { Error = $"File size exceeds maximum of {HubConstants.MaxAvatarSizeBytes / (1024 * 1024)} MB." });
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse($"File size exceeds maximum of {HubConstants.MaxAvatarSizeBytes / (1024 * 1024)} MB."));
 
         using var stream = file.OpenReadStream();
+
+        if (!FileValidationHelper.IsValidImage(stream))
+            return BadRequest(new ErrorResponse("File is not a valid image. Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP."));
+
         var asciiArt = asciiService.ConvertToAscii(stream);
 
         user.AvatarAscii = asciiArt;
         await db.SaveChangesAsync();
 
-        return Ok(new { AvatarAscii = asciiArt });
+        return Ok(new AvatarUploadResponse(asciiArt));
     }
 
     private static UserProfileDto ToProfileDto(Core.Models.User user) => new(

src/EchoHub.Server/Data/EchoHubDbContext.cs

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ public class EchoHubDbContext(DbContextOptions<EchoHubDbContext> options) : DbCo
     public DbSet<User> Users => Set<User>();
     public DbSet<Channel> Channels => Set<Channel>();
     public DbSet<Message> Messages => Set<Message>();
+    public DbSet<RefreshToken> RefreshTokens => Set<RefreshToken>();
 
     protected override void OnConfiguring(DbContextOptionsBuilder optionsBuilder)
     {
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ public class EchoHubDbContext(DbContextOptions<EchoHubDbContext> options) : DbCo
         modelBuilder.Entity<Channel>(entity =>
         {
             entity.HasKey(c => c.Id);
-            entity.HasIndex(c => c.Name);
+            entity.HasIndex(c => c.Name).IsUnique();
             entity.Property(c => c.Name).IsRequired().HasMaxLength(100);
             entity.Property(c => c.Topic).HasMaxLength(500);
 
@@ -56,6 +57,19 @@ public class EchoHubDbContext(DbContextOptions<EchoHubDbContext> options) : DbCo
             entity.Property(m => m.AttachmentFileName).HasMaxLength(255);
         });
 
+        modelBuilder.Entity<RefreshToken>(entity =>
+        {
+            entity.HasKey(r => r.Id);
+            entity.HasIndex(r => r.TokenHash);
+            entity.HasIndex(r => r.UserId);
+            entity.Property(r => r.TokenHash).IsRequired().HasMaxLength(128);
+
+            entity.HasOne(r => r.User)
+                  .WithMany()
+                  .HasForeignKey(r => r.UserId)
+                  .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade);
+        });
+
         // SQLite does not support DateTimeOffset in ORDER BY clauses.
         // Convert all DateTimeOffset properties to Unix milliseconds (long) for storage.
         var dateTimeOffsetConverter = new ValueConverter<DateTimeOffset, long>(

src/EchoHub.Server/Hubs/ChatHub.cs

@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@ public class ChatHub(EchoHubDbContext db, ILogger<ChatHub> logger, PresenceTrack
 
     public override async Task OnDisconnectedAsync(Exception? exception)
     {
-        // Capture channels before disconnecting, since UserDisconnected clears them
-        // when the last connection for a user is removed.
         var preDisconnectUsername = Context.User?.FindFirstValue("username");
         var channelsBeforeDisconnect = preDisconnectUsername is not null
             ? presenceTracker.GetChannelsForUser(preDisconnectUsername)
@@ -82,21 +80,18 @@ public class ChatHub(EchoHubDbContext db, ILogger<ChatHub> logger, PresenceTrack
     {
         channelName = channelName.ToLowerInvariant().Trim();
 
+        if (!ValidationConstants.ChannelNameRegex().IsMatch(channelName))
+        {
+            await Clients.Caller.Error("Invalid channel name. Use 2-100 characters: letters, digits, underscores, or hyphens.");
+            return [];
+        }
+
         var channel = await db.Channels.FirstOrDefaultAsync(c => c.Name == channelName);
 
         if (channel is null)
         {
-            channel = new Channel
+            await Clients.Caller.Error($"Channel '{channelName}' does not exist. Create it first via the channel list.");
-            {
+            return [];
-                Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
-                Name = channelName,
-                CreatedByUserId = CurrentUserId,
-            };
-
-            db.Channels.Add(channel);
-            await db.SaveChangesAsync();
-
-            logger.LogInformation("Channel '{Channel}' created by {User}", channelName, CurrentUsername);
         }
 
         presenceTracker.JoinChannel(CurrentUsername, channelName);
@@ -126,6 +121,12 @@ public class ChatHub(EchoHubDbContext db, ILogger<ChatHub> logger, PresenceTrack
     {
         channelName = channelName.ToLowerInvariant().Trim();
 
+        if (!ValidationConstants.ChannelNameRegex().IsMatch(channelName))
+        {
+            await Clients.Caller.Error("Invalid channel name.");
+            return;
+        }
+
         if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(content))
         {
             await Clients.Caller.Error("Message content cannot be empty.");
@@ -181,13 +182,12 @@ public class ChatHub(EchoHubDbContext db, ILogger<ChatHub> logger, PresenceTrack
     public async Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistory(string channelName, int count = HubConstants.DefaultHistoryCount)
     {
         channelName = channelName.ToLowerInvariant().Trim();
+        count = Math.Clamp(count, 1, ValidationConstants.MaxHistoryCount);
 
         var channel = await db.Channels.FirstOrDefaultAsync(c => c.Name == channelName);
 
         if (channel is null)
-        {
             return [];
-        }
 
         var messages = await db.Messages
             .Where(m => m.ChannelId == channel.Id)
@@ -214,6 +214,12 @@ public class ChatHub(EchoHubDbContext db, ILogger<ChatHub> logger, PresenceTrack
 
     public async Task UpdateStatus(UserStatus status, string? statusMessage)
     {
+        if (statusMessage is not null && statusMessage.Length > ValidationConstants.MaxStatusMessageLength)
+        {
+            await Clients.Caller.Error($"Status message must not exceed {ValidationConstants.MaxStatusMessageLength} characters.");
+            return;
+        }
+
         var user = await db.Users.FindAsync(CurrentUserId);
 
         if (user is null)
@@ -223,7 +229,7 @@ public class ChatHub(EchoHubDbContext db, ILogger<ChatHub> logger, PresenceTrack
         }
 
         user.Status = status;
-        user.StatusMessage = statusMessage;
+        user.StatusMessage = statusMessage?.Trim();
         user.LastSeenAt = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow;
         await db.SaveChangesAsync();
 

src/EchoHub.Server/Program.cs

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 using System.Text;
+using System.Threading.RateLimiting;
 using EchoHub.Core.Constants;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.RateLimiting;
 using EchoHub.Core.Models;
 using EchoHub.Server.Auth;
 using EchoHub.Server.Data;
@@ -72,15 +74,48 @@ builder.Services.AddSingleton<PresenceTracker>();
 builder.Services.AddSingleton<ImageToAsciiService>();
 builder.Services.AddSingleton<FileStorageService>();
 
-// ── CORS (allow all for development) ──────────────────────────────────────────
+// ── Rate Limiting ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+builder.Services.AddRateLimiter(options =>
+{
+    options.RejectionStatusCode = StatusCodes.Status429TooManyRequests;
+
+    options.AddFixedWindowLimiter("auth", limiter =>
+    {
+        limiter.PermitLimit = 10;
+        limiter.Window = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1);
+        limiter.QueueLimit = 0;
+    });
+
+    options.AddFixedWindowLimiter("upload", limiter =>
+    {
+        limiter.PermitLimit = 5;
+        limiter.Window = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1);
+        limiter.QueueLimit = 0;
+    });
+
+    options.AddFixedWindowLimiter("general", limiter =>
+    {
+        limiter.PermitLimit = 100;
+        limiter.Window = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1);
+        limiter.QueueLimit = 0;
+    });
+});
+
+// ── CORS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+var allowedOrigins = builder.Configuration.GetSection("Cors:AllowedOrigins").Get<string[]>();
+
 builder.Services.AddCors(options =>
 {
     options.AddDefaultPolicy(policy =>
     {
         policy.AllowAnyHeader()
               .AllowAnyMethod()
-              .AllowCredentials()
+              .AllowCredentials();
-              .SetIsOriginAllowed(_ => true);
+
+        if (allowedOrigins is { Length: > 0 })
+            policy.WithOrigins(allowedOrigins);
+        else
+            policy.SetIsOriginAllowed(_ => true);
     });
 });
 
@@ -108,6 +143,7 @@ using (var scope = app.Services.CreateScope())
 
 // ── Middleware ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 app.UseCors();
+app.UseRateLimiter();
 app.UseAuthentication();
 app.UseAuthorization();
 

src/EchoHub.Server/Services/FileValidationHelper.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+namespace EchoHub.Server.Services;
+
+public static class FileValidationHelper
+{
+    private static readonly byte[] JpegMagic = [0xFF, 0xD8, 0xFF];
+    private static readonly byte[] PngMagic = [0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47];
+    private static readonly byte[] GifMagic = [0x47, 0x49, 0x46];
+    private static readonly byte[] WebpRiff = [0x52, 0x49, 0x46, 0x46]; // "RIFF"
+    private static readonly byte[] WebpTag = [0x57, 0x45, 0x42, 0x50]; // "WEBP"
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Validates that a stream contains a recognized image format by checking magic bytes.
+    /// The stream position is reset to the beginning after validation.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static bool IsValidImage(Stream stream)
+    {
+        if (!stream.CanSeek)
+            return false;
+
+        var originalPosition = stream.Position;
+        try
+        {
+            var header = new byte[12];
+            var bytesRead = stream.Read(header, 0, header.Length);
+
+            if (bytesRead < 3)
+                return false;
+
+            // JPEG: FF D8 FF
+            if (StartsWith(header, bytesRead, JpegMagic))
+                return true;
+
+            // PNG: 89 50 4E 47
+            if (bytesRead >= 4 && StartsWith(header, bytesRead, PngMagic))
+                return true;
+
+            // GIF: 47 49 46 (GIF87a or GIF89a)
+            if (StartsWith(header, bytesRead, GifMagic))
+                return true;
+
+            // WebP: RIFF....WEBP
+            if (bytesRead >= 12 && StartsWith(header, bytesRead, WebpRiff)
+                && header[8] == WebpTag[0] && header[9] == WebpTag[1]
+                && header[10] == WebpTag[2] && header[11] == WebpTag[3])
+                return true;
+
+            return false;
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            stream.Position = originalPosition;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static bool StartsWith(byte[] buffer, int length, byte[] magic)
+    {
+        if (length < magic.Length)
+            return false;
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < magic.Length; i++)
+        {
+            if (buffer[i] != magic[i])
+                return false;
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+}