Cthulhu: An Anonymous File Sharing Platform on AWS

Cthulhu is an anonymous file sharing platform built around temporary uploads, secure sharing, and service-level separation. It supports account-free uploads with expiring links, longer retention for authenticated users, optional password protection, and a backend architecture that treats scanning, lifecycle management, storage, and auth as separate concerns.

The system is organized as a monorepo with Go microservices, a client application, shared protobuf and messaging packages, and infrastructure work for object storage, queues, and local cloud-style development. It is the kind of project where product behavior, platform design, and backend coordination all have to line up at the same time.

What It Includes

• Anonymous uploads with expiring links and short retention windows.
• Authenticated flows for longer-lived files and upload management.
• A gateway that fronts multiple gRPC services behind a single client-facing entry point.
• File storage, malware scanning, and lifecycle cleanup as separate backend responsibilities.
• Local infrastructure support for S3-compatible storage, RabbitMQ, and ClamAV.

Why It Matters

This project is interesting because it sits in the middle of product and platform work. It is not just a UI or just a backend service. It is a full system where privacy, lifecycle rules, background processing, and infrastructure choices all shape the final user experience.