Humble: The Minimalist Powerhouse for HTTP Header Security

In an era where HTTP headers form the first line of defense against web vulnerabilities, Humble emerges as a remarkably efficient open-source analyzer. Developed by Rafa 'Bluesman' Faura, this Python-based tool delivers enterprise-grade security validation in a lightweight package – scanning headers for 58 security checks, 1,235 fingerprinting patterns, and OWASP compliance in seconds.

Why Header Security Can't Be Ignored

"HTTP headers are the silent guardians of web applications," notes Faura. "Misconfigured headers open doors to clickjacking, XSS, MIME-sniffing attacks, and protocol downgrades."

Humble tackles this through:
- Comprehensive vulnerability detection: Flags missing security headers (14 essential checks), deprecated protocols (152 checks), and empty values
- Fingerprint intelligence: Identifies 1,235 server/tech stack signatures via headers
- OWASP Secure Headers Project validation: Certifies compliance with industry best practices
- TLS/SSL integration: Works with testssl.sh for full crypto stack analysis

Technical Capabilities That Impress

# Sample Docker execution for OWASP compliance check
docker run -it --rm humble:1.48 python3 humble.py -u https://yourdomain.com -c

Key features:
- Multi-format reporting: Exports to CSV, JSON, PDF, HTML, and XML
- Historical analysis: Compares current/past scans to track hardening progress
- Context-aware guidance: Provides framework-specific implementation tips (Nginx, Apache, Cloudflare, etc.)
- Language support: English/Spanish output with browser compatibility data from Can I Use
- Proxy-ready: Seamless integration with debugging proxies

Real-World Execution

Humble's console output provides color-coded results:
- Missing headers (like Content-Security-Policy)
- Fingerprinting risks (Server, X-Powered-By headers)
- Deprecated values (insecure CORS configurations)
- Empty header warnings

The PDF/HTML reports (shown in screenshots) offer executive summaries alongside technical details – perfect for compliance audits.

Getting Started

For Python environments:

python3 -m venv humble_venv
source humble_venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
python humble.py -u https://your-api.com -o pdf

Kali Linux users:

sudo apt install humble
cd /usr/share/humble
python3 humble.py -u https://target.org

The Road Ahead

With plans to expand header checks and Sphinx documentation, Humble exemplifies how focused tools can solve critical security gaps. Its MIT license encourages enterprise adoption, while the Docker/Kali packaging demonstrates production-ready maturity. For teams serious about header security, this isn't just another scanner – it's an essential hardening companion.

Source: Humble GitHub Repository (v2025-07-25)