From 2fb14821e06ef4bc62d6feaca77fb18a24995533 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Joseph Doherty <dohejw01@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2026 23:56:49 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] feat: add no-responders CONNECT validation and tests

Reject connections that send no_responders:true without headers:true,
since the 503 HMSG response requires header support. Add three tests:
connection rejection, acceptance with headers, and 503 delivery flow.
---
 src/NATS.Server/NatsClient.cs                |   9 ++
 tests/NATS.Server.Tests/NoRespondersTests.cs | 117 +++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 126 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 tests/NATS.Server.Tests/NoRespondersTests.cs

diff --git a/src/NATS.Server/NatsClient.cs b/src/NATS.Server/NatsClient.cs
index a22a11f..6241f25 100644
--- a/src/NATS.Server/NatsClient.cs
+++ b/src/NATS.Server/NatsClient.cs
@@ -374,6 +374,15 @@ public sealed class NatsClient : IDisposable
             Account.AddClient(Id);
         }
 
+        // Validate no_responders requires headers
+        if (ClientOpts.NoResponders && !ClientOpts.Headers)
+        {
+            _logger.LogDebug("Client {ClientId} no_responders requires headers", Id);
+            await CloseWithReasonAsync(ClientClosedReason.NoRespondersRequiresHeaders,
+                NatsProtocol.ErrNoRespondersRequiresHeaders);
+            return;
+        }
+
         _flags.SetFlag(ClientFlags.ConnectReceived);
         _flags.SetFlag(ClientFlags.ConnectProcessFinished);
         _logger.LogDebug("CONNECT received from client {ClientId}, name={ClientName}", Id, ClientOpts?.Name);
diff --git a/tests/NATS.Server.Tests/NoRespondersTests.cs b/tests/NATS.Server.Tests/NoRespondersTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..356ebcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/NATS.Server.Tests/NoRespondersTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+using System.Net;
+using System.Net.Sockets;
+using System.Text;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Abstractions;
+using NATS.Server;
+
+namespace NATS.Server.Tests;
+
+public class NoRespondersTests : IAsyncLifetime
+{
+    private readonly NatsServer _server;
+    private readonly int _port;
+    private readonly CancellationTokenSource _cts = new();
+
+    public NoRespondersTests()
+    {
+        _port = GetFreePort();
+        _server = new NatsServer(new NatsOptions { Port = _port }, NullLoggerFactory.Instance);
+    }
+
+    public async Task InitializeAsync()
+    {
+        _ = _server.StartAsync(_cts.Token);
+        await _server.WaitForReadyAsync();
+    }
+
+    public async Task DisposeAsync()
+    {
+        await _cts.CancelAsync();
+        _server.Dispose();
+    }
+
+    private static int GetFreePort()
+    {
+        using var sock = new Socket(AddressFamily.InterNetwork, SocketType.Stream, ProtocolType.Tcp);
+        sock.Bind(new IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Loopback, 0));
+        return ((IPEndPoint)sock.LocalEndPoint!).Port;
+    }
+
+    private async Task<Socket> ConnectClientAsync()
+    {
+        var sock = new Socket(AddressFamily.InterNetwork, SocketType.Stream, ProtocolType.Tcp);
+        await sock.ConnectAsync(IPAddress.Loopback, _port);
+        return sock;
+    }
+
+    private static async Task<string> ReadUntilAsync(Socket sock, string expected, int timeoutMs = 5000)
+    {
+        using var cts = new CancellationTokenSource(timeoutMs);
+        var sb = new StringBuilder();
+        var buf = new byte[4096];
+        while (!sb.ToString().Contains(expected))
+        {
+            var n = await sock.ReceiveAsync(buf, SocketFlags.None, cts.Token);
+            if (n == 0) break;
+            sb.Append(Encoding.ASCII.GetString(buf, 0, n));
+        }
+        return sb.ToString();
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task NoResponders_without_headers_closes_connection()
+    {
+        using var client = await ConnectClientAsync();
+
+        // Read INFO
+        await ReadUntilAsync(client, "\r\n");
+
+        // Send CONNECT with no_responders:true but headers:false
+        await client.SendAsync(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(
+            "CONNECT {\"no_responders\":true,\"headers\":false}\r\n"));
+
+        // Should receive -ERR and connection should close
+        var response = await ReadUntilAsync(client, "-ERR");
+        response.ShouldContain("-ERR");
+        response.ShouldContain("No Responders Requires Headers Support");
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task NoResponders_with_headers_accepted()
+    {
+        using var client = await ConnectClientAsync();
+
+        // Read INFO
+        await ReadUntilAsync(client, "\r\n");
+
+        // Send CONNECT with both no_responders and headers true, then PING
+        await client.SendAsync(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(
+            "CONNECT {\"no_responders\":true,\"headers\":true}\r\nPING\r\n"));
+
+        // Should receive PONG (connection stays alive)
+        var response = await ReadUntilAsync(client, "PONG\r\n");
+        response.ShouldContain("PONG\r\n");
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task NoResponders_sends_503_when_no_subscribers()
+    {
+        using var client = await ConnectClientAsync();
+
+        // Read INFO
+        await ReadUntilAsync(client, "\r\n");
+
+        // CONNECT with no_responders and headers enabled
+        // SUB to the reply inbox so we can receive the 503
+        // PUB to a subject with no subscribers, using a reply-to subject
+        await client.SendAsync(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(
+            "CONNECT {\"no_responders\":true,\"headers\":true}\r\n" +
+            "SUB _INBOX.reply 1\r\n" +
+            "PUB no.subscribers _INBOX.reply 5\r\nHello\r\n"));
+
+        // Should receive HMSG with 503 status on the reply subject
+        var response = await ReadUntilAsync(client, "HMSG");
+        response.ShouldContain("HMSG _INBOX.reply 1");
+        response.ShouldContain("503");
+    }
+}