Dotnet Input Validation

dotnet-input-validation

Comprehensive input validation patterns for .NET APIs. Covers the .NET 10 built-in validation system, FluentValidation for complex business rules, Data Annotations for simple models, endpoint filters for Minimal API integration, ProblemDetails error responses, and security-focused validation techniques.

Scope

• .NET 10 built-in validation (AddValidation, ValidatableType, source generators)
• FluentValidation validators, DI registration, endpoint filters
• Data Annotations attributes, custom ValidationAttribute, IValidatableObject
• Endpoint filters for validation as a cross-cutting concern
• ProblemDetails error responses (RFC 9457)
• Security-focused validation (ReDoS prevention, allowlist, file upload)

Out of scope

• Blazor form validation (EditForm, DataAnnotationsValidator) -- see [skill:dotnet-blazor-components]
• OWASP injection prevention principles -- see [skill:dotnet-security-owasp]
• Architectural patterns for validation placement -- see [skill:dotnet-architecture-patterns]
• Options pattern ValidateDataAnnotations -- see [skill:dotnet-csharp-configuration]

Cross-references: [skill:dotnet-security-owasp] for OWASP injection prevention, [skill:dotnet-architecture-patterns] for architectural validation strategy, [skill:dotnet-minimal-apis] for Minimal API pipeline integration, [skill:dotnet-csharp-configuration] for Options pattern validation.

Validation Framework Decision Tree

Choose the validation framework based on project requirements:

1. .NET 10 Built-in Validation (AddValidation) -- default for new .NET 10+ projects. Source-generator-based, AOT-compatible, auto-discovers types from Minimal API handlers. Best for: greenfield projects targeting .NET 10+.
2. FluentValidation -- when validation rules are complex (cross-property, conditional, database-dependent). Rich fluent API with testable validator classes. Best for: complex business rules, domain validation.
3. Data Annotations -- when models need simple declarative validation ([Required], [Range]). Widely understood, works with MVC model binding and IValidatableObject for cross-property checks. Best for: simple DTOs, shared models.
4. MiniValidation -- lightweight Data Annotations runner without MVC model binding overhead. Best for: micro-services with simple validation (see [skill:dotnet-architecture-patterns] for details).

General guidance: prefer .NET 10 built-in validation for new projects. Use FluentValidation when rules outgrow annotations. Do not mix multiple frameworks in the same request DTO -- pick one per model type and stay consistent.

.NET 10 Built-in Validation

.NET 10 introduces Microsoft.Extensions.Validation with source-generator-based validation that integrates directly into the Minimal API pipeline. It auto-discovers validatable types from endpoint handler parameters and runs validation via an endpoint filter.

Setup

// <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Validation" Version="10.*" />
builder.Services.AddValidation();

var app = builder.Build();
// Validation runs automatically via endpoint filter for Minimal API handlers

AddValidation() scans for types annotated with [ValidatableType] and generates validation logic at compile time using source generators, ensuring Native AOT compatibility.

Defining Validatable Types

[ValidatableType]
public partial class CreateProductRequest
{
    [Required]
    [StringLength(200, MinimumLength = 1)]
    public required string Name { get; set; }

    [Range(0.01, 1_000_000)]
    public decimal Price { get; set; }

    [Required]
    [RegularExpression(@"^[A-Z]{2,4}-\d{4,8}$", ErrorMessage = "SKU format: AA-0000")]
    public required string Sku { get; set; }
}

The partial keyword is required because the source generator emits validation logic into the same type. The [ValidatableType] attribute triggers code generation at compile time -- no reflection at runtime.

How It Works

1. Source generator discovers [ValidatableType] classes and emits IValidatableObject-like validation logic.
2. AddValidation() registers an endpoint filter that inspects Minimal API handler parameters.
3. When a request arrives, the filter validates parameters before the handler executes.
4. On failure, returns a ValidationProblem response automatically.

Gotcha: AddValidation() integrates with Minimal APIs via endpoint filters. MVC controllers use their own model validation pipeline and do not participate in this filter-based system. For controllers, Data Annotations and ModelState.IsValid remain the standard approach.

FluentValidation

FluentValidation provides a fluent API for building strongly-typed validation rules. It excels at complex business validation with cross-property rules, conditional logic, and database-dependent checks.

Validator Definition

// <PackageReference Include="FluentValidation" Version="11.*" />
// <PackageReference Include="FluentValidation.DependencyInjectionExtensions" Version="11.*" />
public sealed class CreateOrderValidator : AbstractValidator<CreateOrderRequest>
{
    public CreateOrderValidator()
    {
        RuleFor(x => x.CustomerId)
            .NotEmpty()
            .MaximumLength(50);

        RuleFor(x => x.OrderDate)
            .LessThanOrEqualTo(DateOnly.FromDateTime(DateTime.UtcNow))
            .WithMessage("Order date cannot be in the future");

        RuleFor(x => x.Lines)
            .NotEmpty()
            .WithMessage("Order must have at least one line item");

        RuleForEach(x => x.Lines)
            .ChildRules(line =>
            {
                line.RuleFor(l => l.ProductId).NotEmpty();
                line.RuleFor(l => l.Quantity).GreaterThan(0);
                line.RuleFor(l => l.UnitPrice).GreaterThan(0);
            });

        // Conditional rule
        When(x => x.ShippingMethod == ShippingMethod.Express, () =>
        {
            RuleFor(x => x.ShippingAddress)
                .NotNull()
                .WithMessage("Express shipping requires an address");
        });
    }
}

DI Registration with Assembly Scanning

// Registers all AbstractValidator<T> implementations from the assembly
builder.Services.AddValidatorsFromAssemblyContaining<Program>(ServiceLifetime.Scoped);

Manual Validation Pattern (Recommended)

FluentValidation's ASP.NET pipeline auto-validation is deprecated. Use manual validation in endpoint handlers or endpoint filters instead:

app.MapPost("/api/orders", async (
    CreateOrderRequest request,
    IValidator<CreateOrderRequest> validator,
    AppDbContext db) =>
{
    var result = await validator.ValidateAsync(request);
    if (!result.IsValid)
    {
        return TypedResults.ValidationProblem(result.ToDictionary());
    }

    var order = new Order { CustomerId = request.CustomerId };
    db.Orders.Add(order);
    await db.SaveChangesAsync();
    return TypedResults.Created($"/api/orders/{order.Id}", order);
});

FluentValidation Endpoint Filter

For reusable validation across multiple endpoints, create a generic endpoint filter (see also [skill:dotnet-minimal-apis] for filter pipeline details):

public sealed class FluentValidationFilter<T>(IValidator<T> validator) : IEndpointFilter
    where T : class
{
    public async ValueTask<object?> InvokeAsync(
        EndpointFilterInvocationContext context,
        EndpointFilterDelegate next)
    {
        var argument = context.Arguments.OfType<T>().FirstOrDefault();
        if (argument is null)
            return TypedResults.BadRequest("Request body is required");

        var result = await validator.ValidateAsync(argument);
        if (!result.IsValid)
            return TypedResults.ValidationProblem(result.ToDictionary());

        return await next(context);
    }
}

// Apply to endpoints
products.MapPost("/", CreateProduct)
    .AddEndpointFilter<FluentValidationFilter<CreateProductDto>>();

Gotcha: Do not use the deprecated FluentValidation.AspNetCore auto-validation pipeline. It was removed in FluentValidation 11. Use manual validation or endpoint filters as shown above.

Data Annotations

Data Annotations provide declarative validation through attributes. They work with MVC model binding, Minimal API binding, and the .NET 10 AddValidation() source generator.

Standard Attributes

public sealed class UpdateProductDto
{
    [Required(ErrorMessage = "Product name is required")]
    [StringLength(200, MinimumLength = 1)]
    public required string Name { get; set; }

    [Range(0.01, 1_000_000, ErrorMessage = "Price must be between {1} and {2}")]
    public decimal Price { get; set; }

    [RegularExpression(@"^[A-Z]{2,4}-\d{4,8}$")]
    public string? Sku { get; set; }

    [EmailAddress]
    public string? ContactEmail { get; set; }

    [Url]
    public string? WebsiteUrl { get; set; }

    [Phone]
    public string? SupportPhone { get; set; }
}

Custom ValidationAttribute

[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Property | AttributeTargets.Parameter)]
public sealed class FutureDateAttribute : ValidationAttribute
{
    protected override ValidationResult? IsValid(object? value, ValidationContext context)
    {
        if (value is DateOnly date && date <= DateOnly.FromDateTime(DateTime.UtcNow))
        {
            return new ValidationResult(
                ErrorMessage ?? "Date must be in the future",
                new[] { context.MemberName! });
        }
        return ValidationResult.Success;
    }
}

// Usage
public sealed class CreateEventDto
{
    [Required]
    [StringLength(200)]
    public required string Title { get; set; }

    [FutureDate(ErrorMessage = "Event date must be in the future")]
    public DateOnly EventDate { get; set; }
}

IValidatableObject for Cross-Property Validation

public sealed class DateRangeDto : IValidatableObject
{
    [Required]
    public DateOnly StartDate { get; set; }

    [Required]
    public DateOnly EndDate { get; set; }

    [Range(1, 365)]
    public int MaxDays { get; set; } = 30;

    public IEnumerable<ValidationResult> Validate(ValidationContext context)
    {
        if (EndDate < StartDate)
        {
            yield return new ValidationResult(
                "End date must be after start date",
                new[] { nameof(EndDate) });
        }

        if ((EndDate.ToDateTime(TimeOnly.MinValue) - StartDate.ToDateTime(TimeOnly.MinValue)).Days > MaxDays)
        {
            yield return new ValidationResult(
                $"Date range cannot exceed {MaxDays} days",
                new[] { nameof(StartDate), nameof(EndDate) });
        }
    }
}

Gotcha: Options pattern classes must use { get; set; } not { get; init; } because the configuration binder needs to mutate properties after construction. Validation attributes on init-only properties work for request DTOs but fail for options classes bound via IConfiguration. See [skill:dotnet-csharp-configuration] for Options pattern validation.

Endpoint Filters for Validation

Endpoint filters integrate validation into the Minimal API request pipeline as a cross-cutting concern. Filters execute before the handler, enabling centralized validation logic.

Generic Data Annotations Filter

public sealed class DataAnnotationsValidationFilter<T> : IEndpointFilter
    where T : class
{
    public async ValueTask<object?> InvokeAsync(
        EndpointFilterInvocationContext context,
        EndpointFilterDelegate next)
    {
        var argument = context.Arguments.OfType<T>().FirstOrDefault();
        if (argument is null)
            return TypedResults.BadRequest("Request body is required");

        var validationResults = new List<ValidationResult>();
        var validationContext = new ValidationContext(argument);

        if (!Validator.TryValidateObject(argument, validationContext, validationResults, validateAllProperties: true))
        {
            var errors = validationResults
                .Where(r => r.MemberNames.Any())
                .GroupBy(r => r.MemberNames.First())
                .ToDictionary(
                    g => g.Key,
                    g => g.Select(r => r.ErrorMessage ?? "Validation failed").ToArray());

            return TypedResults.ValidationProblem(errors);
        }

        return await next(context);
    }
}

// Apply to endpoints or route groups
products.MapPost("/", CreateProduct)
    .AddEndpointFilter<DataAnnotationsValidationFilter<CreateProductDto>>();

products.MapPut("/{id:int}", UpdateProduct)
    .AddEndpointFilter<DataAnnotationsValidationFilter<UpdateProductDto>>();

Combining with Route Groups

Apply validation filters at the route group level for consistent validation across all endpoints in a group (see [skill:dotnet-minimal-apis] for route group patterns):

var orders = app.MapGroup("/api/orders")
    .AddEndpointFilter<FluentValidationFilter<CreateOrderRequest>>();

Gotcha: Filter execution order matters -- first-registered filter is outermost. Register validation filters after logging but before authorization enrichment so that invalid requests are rejected early without unnecessary processing.

Error Responses

Use the ProblemDetails standard (RFC 9457) for consistent API error responses. ASP.NET Core has built-in support via TypedResults.ValidationProblem() and IProblemDetailsService.

ValidationProblem Response

// Returns HTTP 400 with RFC 9457-compliant body
app.MapPost("/api/products", async (CreateProductDto dto, IValidator<CreateProductDto> validator) =>
{
    var result = await validator.ValidateAsync(dto);
    if (!result.IsValid)
    {
        // Produces: { "type": "...", "title": "...", "status": 400, "errors": { ... } }
        return TypedResults.ValidationProblem(result.ToDictionary());
    }

    // ... create product
    return TypedResults.Created($"/api/products/{product.Id}", product);
});

Customizing ProblemDetails

builder.Services.AddProblemDetails(options =>
{
    options.CustomizeProblemDetails = context =>
    {
        context.ProblemDetails.Extensions["traceId"] =
            context.HttpContext.TraceIdentifier;
        context.ProblemDetails.Extensions["instance"] =
            context.HttpContext.Request.Path.Value;
    };
});

var app = builder.Build();
app.UseStatusCodePages();
app.UseExceptionHandler();

IProblemDetailsService for Global Error Handling

builder.Services.AddProblemDetails();

var app = builder.Build();

app.UseExceptionHandler(exceptionApp =>
{
    exceptionApp.Run(async context =>
    {
        var problemDetailsService = context.RequestServices
            .GetRequiredService<IProblemDetailsService>();

        await problemDetailsService.WriteAsync(new ProblemDetailsContext
        {
            HttpContext = context,
            ProblemDetails =
            {
                Title = "An unexpected error occurred",
                Status = StatusCodes.Status500InternalServerError,
                Type = "https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc9110#section-15.6.1"
            }
        });
    });
});

Gotcha: ConfigureHttpJsonOptions applies to Minimal APIs only, not MVC controllers. Validation error formatting (e.g., camelCase property names in the errors dictionary) may differ between Minimal APIs and MVC if JSON options are not configured consistently. For MVC controllers, configure via builder.Services.AddControllers().AddJsonOptions(...).

Security-Focused Validation

Input validation is a first line of defense against injection and abuse. These patterns complement the OWASP security principles in [skill:dotnet-security-owasp] with practical validation techniques.

ReDoS Prevention

Regular expressions with backtracking can be exploited to cause catastrophic performance degradation (Regular Expression Denial of Service). Always apply timeouts or use source-generated regex.

// PREFERRED: [GeneratedRegex] -- compiled at build time, AOT-compatible (.NET 7+).
// Combine with RegexOptions.NonBacktracking or a timeout for ReDoS safety.
public static partial class InputPatterns
{
    [GeneratedRegex(@"^[A-Za-z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\.[A-Za-z]{2,}$",
        RegexOptions.None, matchTimeoutMilliseconds: 1000)]
    public static partial Regex EmailPattern();

    [GeneratedRegex(@"^[A-Z]{2,4}-\d{4,8}$")]
    public static partial Regex SkuPattern();
}

// Usage in validation
if (!InputPatterns.EmailPattern().IsMatch(input))
{
    return TypedResults.ValidationProblem(
        new Dictionary<string, string[]>
        {
            ["email"] = ["Invalid email format"]
        });
}

// FALLBACK: Regex with explicit timeout (when source generation is not available)
var pattern = new Regex(
    @"^[A-Za-z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\.[A-Za-z]{2,}$",
    RegexOptions.Compiled,
    matchTimeout: TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1));

try
{
    if (!pattern.IsMatch(input))
        return TypedResults.BadRequest("Invalid format");
}
catch (RegexMatchTimeoutException)
{
    return TypedResults.BadRequest("Input validation timed out");
}

Allowlist vs Denylist

Always prefer allowlist validation over denylist. Denylists are inherently incomplete because new attack vectors bypass them.

// CORRECT: Allowlist -- only permit known-good values
private static readonly FrozenSet<string> AllowedFileExtensions =
    new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
    { ".jpg", ".jpeg", ".png", ".gif", ".webp" }
    .ToFrozenSet(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);

public static bool IsAllowedExtension(string filename) =>
    AllowedFileExtensions.Contains(Path.GetExtension(filename));

// WRONG: Denylist -- attackers find extensions not in the list
// private static readonly string[] BlockedExtensions = [".exe", ".bat", ".cmd", ".ps1"];

// Allowlist for input characters
public static bool IsValidUsername(string username) =>
    username.Length is >= 3 and <= 50
    && username.All(c => char.IsLetterOrDigit(c) || c is '_' or '-');

Max Length Enforcement

Enforce maximum length on all user-controlled string inputs to prevent memory exhaustion and buffer-based attacks:

[ValidatableType]
public partial class SearchRequest
{
    [Required]
    [StringLength(200)]  // Always set max length on search inputs
    public required string Query { get; set; }

    [Range(1, 100)]
    public int PageSize { get; set; } = 20;
}

Also enforce at the Kestrel level for defense in depth:

// Configure BEFORE builder.Build()
builder.WebHost.ConfigureKestrel(options =>
{
    options.Limits.MaxRequestBodySize = 10 * 1024 * 1024; // 10 MB
    options.Limits.MaxRequestHeadersTotalSize = 32 * 1024; // 32 KB
});

File Upload Validation

Validate file uploads by content type, size, and extension -- never trust the client-provided Content-Type header alone:

app.MapPost("/api/uploads", async (IFormFile file) =>
{
    // 1. Validate extension (allowlist)
    var extension = Path.GetExtension(file.FileName);
    if (!AllowedFileExtensions.Contains(extension))
        return TypedResults.ValidationProblem(
            new Dictionary<string, string[]>
            {
                ["file"] = [$"File type '{extension}' is not allowed"]
            });

    // 2. Validate file size
    const long maxSize = 5 * 1024 * 1024; // 5 MB
    if (file.Length > maxSize)
        return TypedResults.ValidationProblem(
            new Dictionary<string, string[]>
            {
                ["file"] = [$"File size exceeds {maxSize / (1024 * 1024)} MB limit"]
            });

    // 3. Validate content by reading magic bytes (not Content-Type header)
    using var stream = file.OpenReadStream();
    const int headerSize = 12; // Need 12 bytes for WebP (RIFF + WEBP)
    var header = new byte[headerSize];

    // Guard against files shorter than header size
    int bytesRead = await stream.ReadAtLeastAsync(header, headerSize, throwOnEndOfStream: false);
    if (bytesRead < headerSize)
        return TypedResults.ValidationProblem(
            new Dictionary<string, string[]>
            {
                ["file"] = ["File is too small to be a valid image"]
            });

    stream.Position = 0;

    if (!IsValidImageHeader(header))
        return TypedResults.ValidationProblem(
            new Dictionary<string, string[]>
            {
                ["file"] = ["File content does not match an allowed image format"]
            });

    // 4. Save with a generated filename (never use the original)
    var safeName = $"{Guid.NewGuid()}{extension}";
    var path = Path.Combine("uploads", safeName);
    using var output = File.Create(path);
    await stream.CopyToAsync(output);

    return TypedResults.Ok(new { FileName = safeName });
})
.DisableAntiforgery(); // Only if using JWT/bearer auth, not cookie auth

static bool IsValidImageHeader(ReadOnlySpan<byte> header) =>
    header[..2].SequenceEqual(new byte[] { 0xFF, 0xD8 })                                   // JPEG
    || header[..8].SequenceEqual(new byte[] { 0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47, 0x0D, 0x0A, 0x1A, 0x0A }) // PNG
    || header[..4].SequenceEqual("GIF8"u8)                                                  // GIF
    || (header[..4].SequenceEqual("RIFF"u8) && header[8..12].SequenceEqual("WEBP"u8));      // WebP

For OWASP injection prevention beyond input validation (SQL injection, XSS, command injection), see [skill:dotnet-security-owasp].

Agent Gotchas

1. Do not use FluentValidation auto-validation pipeline -- it was deprecated and removed in FluentValidation 11. Use manual validation or endpoint filters with IValidator<T> instead.
2. Do not mix validation frameworks on the same DTO -- pick one (Data Annotations OR FluentValidation OR .NET 10 built-in) per model type. Mixing causes confusing partial validation.
3. Do not use Regex without a timeout or [GeneratedRegex] -- unbounded regex matching on user input enables ReDoS attacks. Always set matchTimeout or use source-generated regex.
4. Do not trust client-provided Content-Type headers -- validate file content by reading magic bytes. Attackers rename executables with image extensions.
5. Do not forget validateAllProperties: true -- Validator.TryValidateObject without this flag only validates [Required] attributes, silently skipping [Range], [StringLength], and others.
6. Do not use denylist validation for security -- denylists are inherently incomplete. Always validate against an allowlist of known-good values.
7. Do not omit max length on string inputs -- unbounded strings enable memory exhaustion. Apply [StringLength] or [MaxLength] to every user-controlled string property.

Prerequisites

• .NET 8.0+ (LTS baseline for endpoint filters, ProblemDetails, Data Annotations)
• .NET 10.0 for built-in validation (AddValidation, [ValidatableType], Microsoft.Extensions.Validation)
• Microsoft.Extensions.Validation package for .NET 10 built-in validation
• FluentValidation and FluentValidation.DependencyInjectionExtensions for FluentValidation patterns
• .NET 7+ for [GeneratedRegex] source-generated regular expressions

References

• Model Validation in ASP.NET Core
• Minimal API Filters
• FluentValidation Documentation
• ProblemDetails (RFC 9457)
• Handle Errors in ASP.NET Core
• OWASP Input Validation Cheat Sheet
• .NET Regular Expression Source Generators