Add multi-tier IP rate limiting

[Akatenvictor]

What

Add IP-based rate limiting with configurable thresholds per endpoint category (auth, upload, API, admin).

Why

The current authRateLimiter applies a single rate limit to auth endpoints. Different endpoint categories need different thresholds to prevent abuse while allowing legitimate usage.

Scope

• In: Multi-tier rate limiter, per-endpoint config, rate limit headers, sliding window
• Out: Distributed rate limiting, rate limit bypass for trusted clients, adaptive limits

Acceptance Criteria

• Rate limit tiers: auth (5/min), upload (10/hr), api (100/min), admin (30/min)
• Rate limit headers in response: X-RateLimit-Limit, X-RateLimit-Remaining, X-RateLimit-Reset
• Sliding window algorithm instead of fixed window
• 429 response with Retry-After header
• Configurable via environment variables
• In-memory store for single-instance, Redis-ready interface
• Auth endpoints still have stricter global limit

Technical Context

• Extend authRateLimiter in src/middlewares/ into a general rate limiter
• New rateLimiter middleware in src/middlewares/
• Config in src/config/ for rate limit settings
• RequestLogger in src/middlewares/ for rate limit event logging
• No Redis dependency yet, but interface should support it

[obswrld]

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I would like to work on this Issue

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[Banx17]

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please kindly assign this to me

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[oladeeayo]

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I am interested in this issue

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[Moh-dakai]

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Hi i would love to work on this

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[karanjakevin39-collab]

@karanjakevin39-collab has applied to work on this issue as part of the Stellar Wave Program's 8th wave.

Hi maintainer can i work on this issue ?

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[smith961]

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I would like to work on this issue

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[mallison031]

@mallison031 has applied to work on this issue as part of the Stellar Wave Program's 8th wave.

i will like to work on this

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[drips-wave]

Congratulations, @mallison031! 🎉 Your application was accepted by the repo's maintainers, and the issue is due on August 31, 2026.

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[drips-wave]

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