🔐 Node.js Secure File Sharing

A basic secure file sharing project built with Node.js and MongoDB. It allows users to upload files, generate unique download links, and optionally protect them with passwords and expiration times.

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📌 Project Overview

This is a simple, beginner-friendly project designed to demonstrate core backend concepts using Node.js and MongoDB.

Users can upload files through a web interface and receive a unique download link. The system supports password protection and time-based expiration for added security. Files are stored on the server with unique identifiers, while metadata such as download counts, expiration dates, and optional password hashes are tracked in MongoDB.

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✨ Key Features

• 📤 Upload files with UUID-based identifiers
• 🔒 Optional password protection using bcrypt
• ⏳ Configurable expiration times for download links
• 📊 Download count tracking
• 🔌 RESTful API design
• 🎨 Clean and responsive web interface

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🎯 Ideal For

• Beginners learning Node.js backend development
• Understanding file uploads, authentication, and MongoDB integration
• Building a portfolio-ready project

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Tech Stack

Technology	Purpose
Express	Fast, minimalist web framework for Node.js; handles routing and middleware
Mongoose	MongoDB object modeling tool; provides schema-based data modeling and validation
Multer	Middleware for handling multipart/form-data; manages file uploads and storage
UUID	Generates unique identifiers for uploaded files to create secure download links
bcryptjs	Password hashing library; encrypts passwords for secure file protection
dotenv	Loads environment variables from .env file for secure configuration management

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Prerequisites

Before running this project, ensure you have:

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• MongoDB (local installation or MongoDB Atlas account)
• npm or yarn package manager

Installation & Setup

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/deepak-rajpal/nodejs-secure-file-sharing.git
cd nodejs-secure-file-sharing

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory:

touch .env

Add the following environment variables to the .env file:

PORT=3000
MONGO_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/file-sharing-app

For MongoDB Atlas:

PORT=3000
MONGO_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/file-sharing-app?retryWrites=true&w=majority

Replace username, password, and cluster with your MongoDB Atlas credentials.

4. Start the Server

npm start

The server will start at http://localhost:3000

For development with auto-restart:

npm run dev

Project Structure

.
├── config/
│   └── db.js                 # MongoDB connection configuration
├── controllers/
│   └── fileController.js     # File upload and download logic
├── models/
│   └── File.js              # Mongoose schema for file metadata
├── public/
│   ├── index.html           # File upload interface
│   └── download.html        # File download interface
├── routes/
│   └── files.js             # API routes for file operations
├── uploads/                 # Directory for uploaded files
├── .env                     # Environment variables (create this)
├── package.json             # Project dependencies
└── server.js               # Application entry point

API Endpoints

Upload File

POST /api/files/upload

Body (multipart/form-data):

• file: File to upload
• password (optional): Password to protect the file
• expiresIn (optional): Expiration time in seconds

Response:

{
  "downloadPage": "/download.html?uuid=abc123"
}

Download File

GET /api/files/download/:uuid?password=yourpassword

Parameters:

• uuid: Unique file identifier
• password (query parameter, optional): Required if file is password-protected

Usage

1. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser
2. Select a file to upload
3. Optionally set a password and/or expiration time
4. Click upload and receive a unique download link
5. Share the link with others
6. Recipients can download the file using the link (and password if protected)

Security Features

• Password Encryption: Passwords are hashed using bcryptjs before storage
• Unique Identifiers: UUIDs prevent guessing of download links
• Expiration Control: Links automatically expire after specified time
• Download Tracking: Monitor how many times files are accessed

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Contributing

This is a learning project. Contributions are not required, but corrections, bug fixes, and feedback are appreciated.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Note: Remember to add uploads/ and .env to your .gitignore file to prevent sensitive data from being committed to version control.