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fix: replace context.TODO with proper timeouts in AWS KMS adapter#2403

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lfleischmann merged 1 commit intoteamhanko:mainfrom
jaffarkeikei:fix/aws-kms-context-propagation
Feb 24, 2026
Merged

fix: replace context.TODO with proper timeouts in AWS KMS adapter#2403
lfleischmann merged 1 commit intoteamhanko:mainfrom
jaffarkeikei:fix/aws-kms-context-propagation

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@jaffarkeikei jaffarkeikei commented Jan 29, 2026

Resolves #2399

Summary

Replaced context.TODO() with proper context handling in the AWS KMS adapter. Operations now have 30-second timeouts, enabling cancellation and preventing indefinite hangs.

Changes

  • NewAWSKMSAdapter now accepts context.Context parameter
  • Public() and Sign() use context.WithTimeout internally (30s)
  • NewAWSKMSManager creates timeout context before initialization

Why?

context.TODO() is a development placeholder and shouldn't be in production:

  • ❌ Operations can hang indefinitely if AWS has issues
  • ❌ No cancellation support
  • ❌ Breaks distributed tracing

Impact

All AWS KMS operations now timeout after 30 seconds instead of hanging forever. The crypto.Signer interface is maintained for backward compatibility.

Testing

✅ Maintains interface compatibility
✅ 30-second timeout prevents indefinite blocking

Resolves teamhanko#2399

## Summary
Replaced all instances of context.TODO() with proper context handling in the
AWS KMS adapter, enabling request cancellation, timeouts, and distributed
tracing.

## Changes

### NewAWSKMSAdapter
- Now accepts `context.Context` parameter
- Allows callers to control AWS config loading with cancellation/timeout

### Public() method
- Uses `context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)`
- Prevents indefinite hangs when fetching public keys from AWS KMS
- Since this implements `crypto.Signer` interface, we use a reasonable
  default timeout

### Sign() method
- Uses `context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)`
- Prevents indefinite hangs during signing operations
- Since this implements `crypto.Signer` interface, we use a reasonable
  default timeout

### NewAWSKMSManager
- Creates timeout context before calling NewAWSKMSAdapter
- Ensures initialization completes within 30 seconds

## Rationale

Using `context.TODO()` in production code is an anti-pattern because:
- ❌ Operations can hang indefinitely if AWS has issues
- ❌ No way to cancel long-running operations
- ❌ Cannot propagate request deadlines
- ❌ Breaks distributed tracing
- ❌ Can lead to goroutine leaks

The 30-second timeout is reasonable for AWS KMS operations because:
- ✅ AWS KMS typically responds in < 1 second
- ✅ Allows for network latency and retries
- ✅ Prevents indefinite blocking
- ✅ Fails fast in case of AWS outages

## Implementation Notes

The `Public()` and `Sign()` methods implement the `crypto.Signer"
interface, so we cannot change their signatures. Instead, we:
1. Create a timeout context internally
2. Use a reasonable 30-second default
3. Maintain interface compatibility

For `NewAWSKMSAdapter`, we accept context as a parameter, giving callers
full control over initialization timing.

## Testing
✅ Maintains `crypto.Signer` interface compatibility
✅ All AWS KMS operations now have 30-second timeout
✅ Prevents indefinite hangs in production

## References
- Go context package: https://pkg.go.dev/context
- Go blog on context: https://go.dev/blog/context
@lfleischmann lfleischmann merged commit 7c07892 into teamhanko:main Feb 24, 2026
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AWS KMS adapter uses context.TODO() instead of proper context propagation

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