# Security Headers Validator (`stellar_ballet_0bu/security-headers-validator`) Actor

Validate security response headers on any public URL: HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy, Permissions-Policy. Per-Header pass/warn/fail with documented fix-hints.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/stellar\_ballet\_0bu/security-headers-validator.md
- **Developed by:** [Nikita S](https://apify.com/stellar_ballet_0bu) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per event

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Security Headers Validator

Probe any public URL and emit a per-Header pass/warn/fail row with the observed value, expected value, and a one-line `fixHint`. Covers the six security response headers every webops/devops team should audit:

- `Strict-Transport-Security` (HSTS): `max-age >= 15552000`, `includeSubDomains` recommended.
- `Content-Security-Policy` (CSP): `default-src` present; `script-src` must not allow `'unsafe-inline'`, `'unsafe-eval'`, or `*`.
- `X-Frame-Options`: `DENY` or `SAMEORIGIN`; `ALLOW-FROM` is deprecated.
- `X-Content-Type-Options`: must be exactly `nosniff`.
- `Referrer-Policy`: `strict-origin-when-cross-origin` or stricter; `unsafe-url` and `no-referrer-when-downgrade` flagged.
- `Permissions-Policy`: `camera`, `microphone`, `geolocation` disabled by default.

A `SUMMARY` record per run gives per-URL pass/warn/fail counts and a 0–100 score.

### Quick start

```json
{
  "urls": ["https://apify.com", "https://example.com"]
}
```

Output: one row per `(url, header)` pair with `status`, `observed`, `expected`, `fixHint`. SUMMARY: per-URL `score` and counts.

### Why this Actor

- **Per-Header, not score-aggregated.** Every check returns its own row so you can grep/filter the dataset on a single header (e.g. find every URL whose `content-security-policy` allows `'unsafe-inline'`).
- **Documented fix-hints.** Every `fail`/`warn` row includes a one-line `fixHint` string you can paste into a remediation ticket.
- **Pairs with the `url-safety-prober` Actor (RDAP + TLS) and the `http-status-batch` Actor (status + redirect chain).** Feed the same URL list into all three for a complete first-pass security audit.
- **Pure Node, no headless Chrome, no auth, no scraping beyond a single public GET.** Works on any HTTP/HTTPS endpoint.

### Limits

- This Actor only validates **response headers**. It does not probe for CORS misconfigurations, cookie flags, or TLS issues (use `url-safety-prober` for TLS).
- The check for CSP focuses on `default-src` + `script-src` no-`unsafe-inline`/no-`*`. It does not lint every CSP directive (e.g. `frame-ancestors`, `base-uri`, `form-action`).
- The `permissions-policy` check verifies the three most-leaked sensitive features (`camera`, `microphone`, `geolocation`). Other features (payment, USB, etc.) are not yet covered.

### Pricing

`payPerEvent: 0` (free) by default. To charge per check, add `Actor.charge({ eventName: 'header_check', count })` and configure Pay Per Event.

### Run locally

```bash
echo '{"urls":["https://apify.com"]}' > input.json
npm start -- --input-file input.json
```

### Tests

```bash
npm test
```

20 unit tests cover all six header checks, the score formula, and case-insensitive header matching.

### Support

Open an issue on the Apify Actor page. Custom CSP/header audits (e.g. PCI-DSS profiles) are available on request.

# Actor input Schema

## `urls` (type: `array`):

Array of public HTTP/HTTPS URLs.

## `timeoutSec` (type: `integer`):

Per-URL request timeout in seconds.

## `userAgent` (type: `string`):

User-Agent header to send.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "urls": [],
  "timeoutSec": 15,
  "userAgent": "security-headers-validator/0.1 (Apify)"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `rows` (type: `string`):

Per-(URL, header) check rows with pass/warn/fail status, observed value, expected, fixHint.

## `summary` (type: `string`):

Run summary with per-URL pass/warn/fail/error counts and overall score.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("stellar_ballet_0bu/security-headers-validator").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("stellar_ballet_0bu/security-headers-validator").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call stellar_ballet_0bu/security-headers-validator --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=stellar_ballet_0bu/security-headers-validator",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/6DrhbIubQz0lyEaUN/builds/C955Ekz6t0dRaalIm/openapi.json