A must-have tool for every security researcher, penetration tester, or bug bounty hunter who cares about security headers and misconfigurations.
Introduction
In the world of web security, response headers play a crucial role. Whether it’s enforcing HTTPS, preventing clickjacking, or blocking XSS, headers act as the unsung guardians of your web application’s perimeter.
But how often do they change silently between requests?
How do you know if a deployment, load balancer, or misconfigured cache layer introduced a subtle yet dangerous security issue?
That’s where Header Change Notifier comes in.
What is Header Change Notifier?
Header Change Notifier is a professional Burp Suite extension I built to monitor and detect real-time changes in HTTP response headers — right inside Burp Suite.
It detects changes between repeated requests to the same URL and flags them based on risk level. Think of it as a security-focused diff tool for headers — automated and efficient.
Why It Matters
Security headers are often your first line of defense — but they’re also easy to misconfigure or forget entirely. If one vanishes or changes in production, it could silently open the door to attacks.
Header Change Notifier helps you answer:
Did a CSP suddenly get weaker?
Did a Set-Cookie lose its HttpOnly or Secure flag?
Did X-Frame-Options disappear entirely?
You’ll know. Instantly.
Key Features
Real-time Monitoring of HTTP response headers
Pre-configured Security Focus with high-value headers tracked by default
Risk Assessment Engine categorizes changes into Critical/High/Medium/Low
Custom Header Tracking — choose exactly what you care about
Clean UI integrated inside Burp Suite
CSV Export for audit logs and reporting
Burp Suite Alerts — integrates directly with the issue tracker
Performance Optimized — efficient and lightweight
Default Security Headers Tracked
HeaderDescriptionRiskSet-CookieSession cookies and security attributesHighContent-Security-PolicyCSP directivesHighStrict-Transport-SecurityHTTPS enforcementHighX-Frame-OptionsClickjacking protectionMediumX-Content-Type-OptionsMIME sniffing preventionMediumReferrer-PolicyReferrer controlMediumX-XSS-ProtectionXSS mitigation (legacy)MediumAccess-Control-Allow-OriginCORS misconfigurationsMediumServerFingerprintingLowX-Powered-ByTechnology disclosureLow
Note:You can easily modify this list or add custom headers that matter to your application.
Real-World Use Cases
Pentesting: Catch unsafe header changes during auth flows, redirects, or content transitions
Bug Bounty Hunting: Detect subtle changes that signal security weaknesses
DevOps Testing: Ensure headers stay consistent across staging and production
Compliance Monitoring: Prove header stability across audits
Red Team Engagements: Watch for infrastructure shifts during prolonged operations
Installation
Manual Installation
Download HeaderChangeNotifier.py from GitHub
Open Burp Suite
Navigate to Extensions → Installed → Add
Choose Python, then load the .py file
You’ll find a new tab: Header Change Notifier
Coming Soon: BApp Store
We’re submitting the tool to the official Burp BApp Store — stay tuned!
How to Use
Browse your target app normally
The extension tracks headers silently in the background
View changes and alerts in the Header Change Notifier tab
High-risk changes appear in Burp’s issue tracker
Configuration
Use the Settings tab to add or remove headers
Add custom headers if needed
Save your configuration with one click
Export Results
Want to report findings? Just click Export CSV and generate a clean log with timestamped changes and severity.
License
MIT License — free to use, free to extend, just credit the author.
Contact
Author: Mohamed Essam
Email: mohamed.cybersec@gmail.com
Final Words
Header misconfigurations are real, common, and exploitable.
Don’t wait for a bug bounty report to tell you your headers disappeared.
Monitor them yourself — easily, visually, and professionally with Header Change Notifier.
If you find this tool helpful, please star the repo on GitHub and share with your fellow hackers.
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