How to fix info disclosure x powered by on Drupal

Steps for Drupal

1. In your sites/default/settings.php or a custom module's hook_boot(), call `header_remove('X-Powered-By');` or use `drupal_add_http_header('X-Powered-By', '');`
2. Install the 'Security Kit' (seckit) module from drupal.org: Admin → Configuration → System → Security Kit — it provides options to strip information-disclosure headers.
3. For Apache: Add `Header unset X-Powered-By` to your .htaccess or VirtualHost config.
4. For Nginx: Add `more_clear_headers 'X-Powered-By';` to the server block.

What is info disclosure x powered by?

Every time a browser (or a hacker's scanner) requests a page from your store, your web server sends back a set of invisible "response headers" alongside the visible page content. One of these, called X-Powered-By, often reveals exactly what software is running behind the scenes — for example "WP Engine", "PHP/8.1.12", or "Express". This header is not required for your site to work; it exists purely as a default that most web frameworks and hosting platforms add automatically. You can safely remove it or replace it with a meaningless placeholder.

Exposing your technology stack is a gift to attackers. When a scanner sees "WP Engine" or "PHP/8.1.2" in the X-Powered-By header, it immediately knows which known vulnerabilities to try — dramatically lowering the effort needed to compromise your store, steal customer data, or inject malware. This falls squarely under OWASP A05:2021 Security Misconfiguration, one of the most common causes of real-world breaches. Beyond security, a breach that exposes customer payment or personal data creates legal liability under GDPR, CCPA, and PCI-DSS. Removing this header takes minutes and eliminates one of the easiest reconnaissance signals you hand to bad actors for free.

See the complete Info disclosure x powered by guide for every platform and the full background.