Putting hsts headers in apache using htaccess or httpd.conf - apache

I have purchased a ssl certificate recently and have redirected all my traffic on secured https way but i want to get included in hsts preload list. For that reason i want to include hsts header. Is there any way using .htaccess or httpd.conf or if there is another way then please tell me in detail

you can set the hsts header in a .htaccess file:
Header always set Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload" env=HTTPS
#see How to set HSTS header from .htaccess only on HTTPS for more information
or with php:
header('Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=63072000; includeSubdomains; preload');

Also you can put HSTS header on application side, I mean PHP. Add following code top of your header.php or index.php
<?php header("strict-transport-security: max-age=600");
People who uses shared hosting does not have an access to apache.conf. So proper way to do this is putting it on apache.conf.

Related

HSTS Preload differing results

On one of my sites I have Header set Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000" env=HTTPS and this was enough for HSTS to be preloaded but the exact same snippet in my .htaccess file doesn't allow preloading on another site. I've went with Header set Strict-Transport-Security: "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload" env=HTTPS which fixed the issue but I'm wondering why the shorter version worked and preloaded a the first site but not the second?
Any insight would be appreciated.
why the shorter version worked
The short version couldn't have "worked". It would have been sufficient to implement HSTS, but not to have been accepted for the HSTS preload list.
Something else in your config must have been sending the complete header.
The only way to confirm what is actually going on is to record the HTTP request/response headers being sent on the request, not by the directives in your (.htaccess?) config file.
Even the directive you posted is not necessarily sufficient by itself. You must have something that is setting the HTTPS environment variable (this is not the same as the HTTPS server variable). And if you have canonical redirects from www to non-www (or vice versa) then you are missing the always argument to set the header on the 301 redirect (HTTPS only) - which is also a requirement of the "preload list".
It is far easier and less prone to error to implement HSTS "preload" in the server config. If you only have access to .htaccess then I would be hesitant to go for "preload list" submission.
See also my answer to the following related question on CodeReview SE:
https://codereview.stackexchange.com/questions/250805/hsts-recommendations-in-htaccess

Set HSTS header in htaccess if already isn't present

I've set HSTS in a common .htaccess which is being used by multiple sites.
Header set Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000" env=HTTPS
But when a site has already set HSTS header from the virtual host configuration, then there happens to be two HSTS header added to the response.
So before I set HSTS on .htaccess, how do I check if an HSTS header is already present?
It's ok with Header set. There would be a problem if you had used Header add.
add
: The response header is added to the existing set of headers, even if this header already exists. This can result in two (or more)
headers having the same name. This can lead to unforeseen
consequences, and in general set, append or merge should be used
instead.
set
: The response header is set, replacing any previous header with this name. The value may be a format string.
https://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/en/mod/mod_headers.html
Alternatively use setifempty
Header always setifempty Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000" env=HTTPS
As #Croises reported, it should by default just overwrite but in my case, it turns out the header set by the virtual host configs were using the always keyword hence the header set by .htaccess was also added.
You could also use setifempty but in my case my Apache wasn't the latest (only supported for 2.4.7 onwards)
So I had to do like below to make it work.
Header always unset Strict-Transport-Security
Header set Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000" env=HTTPS

The site specified an invalid Strict-Transport-Security header - firebug

I am getting this warning in firebug when adding HSTS header.
The site specified an invalid Strict-Transport-Security header.
here is my htaccess
<IfModule mod_headers.c>
Header append X-FRAME-OPTIONS: SAMEORIGIN
Header append Strict-Transport-Security: 'max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains'
</IfModule>
When I remove quotes from the value I get Internal Server Error.
Website is being served through https, redirect from http to https is set from apache's site file. SSL certificate is self-signed, if it matters.
mod headers is enabled. Im on debian 7, apache 2.2.
Thanks
As #jhutar mentioned in comments, similarly in my case as I set up the site on the main domain with trusted SSL certificate the problem disappeared. So, the firebug is showing that error only for self-signed(and/or not-trusted) SSL certificates.

Unset or Expire HSTS Policy on Apache Server

I set this line in a ssl vhost on my server. I am running Apache 2.x
Header always set Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=63072000; includeSubDomains"
This was a major mistake, because now I want to remove it and force users back to http pages sometimes. It was not enabled for very long, but I don't want to lose anyone. If I try to force users back to http pages right now they end up in a redirect loop.
How can I unset or expire HSTS using settings on the server so that when users do visit the site and hit the https version of the site the Strict-Transport-Security setting is removed from their browser and they are able to be redirected to http?
I already know I made a dumb mistake. I learned a lesson and just need to clean it up now.
Figured it out:
NOTE: A max-age value of zero (i.e., "max-age=0") signals the UA to
cease regarding the host as a Known HSTS Host, including the
includeSubDomains directive (if asserted for that HSTS Host).
See also Section 8.1 ("Strict-Transport-Security Response
Header Field Processing").
From the RFC 6797 document.
So, I will just set the following line and leave it for a few months before removing it.
Header always set Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=0; includeSubDomains"

X-Frame-Options on Apache

I am trying to allow some particular domain to access my site via iframe
Header set X-Frame-Options ALLOW-FROM https://www.example.com
I know this could be done by add the line above to the config of Apache server.
Two questions here.
which config file should be added to? The Apache running on both Unix and windows, if not the same file
while enable the all-from, I still want to be able to run some iframe from my own domain. Can I just add the following line after the allow-from?
Header set X-Frame-Options SAMEORIGIN
Or I should just add my own domain in the all-from, ie
Header set X-Frame-Options ALLOW-FROM https://www.example.com, http://www.my-own-domain.example
You can add to .htaccess, httpd.conf or VirtualHost section
Header set X-Frame-Options SAMEORIGIN this is the best option
Allow from URI is not supported by all browsers. Reference: X-Frame-Options on MDN
See X-Frame-Options header on error response
You can simply add following line to .htaccess
Header always unset X-Frame-Options
What did it for me was the following, I've added the following directive in both the HTTP <VirtualHost *:80> and HTTPS <VirtualHost *:443> virtual host blocks:
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
Header always unset X-Frame-Options
Header set X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN"
The reasoning behind this? Well by default if set, the server does not reset the X-Frame-Options header so we need to first always remove the default value, in my case it was DENY, and then with the next rule we set it to the desired value, in my case SAMEORIGIN. Of course you can use the Header set X-Frame-Options ALLOW-FROM ... rule as well.
This worked for me on all browsers:
Created one page with all my javascript
Created a 2nd page on the same server and embedded the first page using the object tag.
On my third party site I used the Object tag to embed the 2nd page.
Created a .htaccess file on the original server in the public_html folder and put Header unset X-Frame-Options in it.
I found that if the application within the httpd server has a rule like "if the X-Frame-Options header exists and has a value, leave it alone; otherwise add the header X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN" then an httpd.conf mod_headers rule like "Header always unset X-Frame-Options" would not suffice. The SAMEORIGIN value would always reach the client.
To remedy this, I add two, not one, mod_headers rules (in the outermost httpd.conf file):
Header set X-Frame-Options ALLOW-FROM http://example.com early
Header unset X-Frame-Options
The first rule tells any internal request handler that some other agent has taken responsibility for clickjack prevention and it can skip its attempt to save the world. It runs with "early" processing. The second rule strips off the entirely unwanted X-Frame-Options header. It runs with "late" processing.
I also add the appropriate Content-Security-Policy headers so that the world remains protected yet multi-sourced JavaScript from trusted sites still gets to run.
you have to enable mod_headers first in your server
sudo a2enmod headers
sudo service apache2 restart