IIS Security Headers Generator
Generate a complete IIS web.config security headers configuration. This tool provides a tested web.config snippet that adds all recommended security headers and removes ASP.NET version disclosure headers for IIS 7, 8, and 10+.
What is ?
Internet Information Services (IIS) is Microsoft's web server for Windows Server environments. Security headers in IIS are configured via the web.config file using the httpProtocol/customHeaders section. IIS also has specific ASP.NET-related headers (X-AspNet-Version, X-AspNetMvc-Version) that disclose framework versions and must be explicitly removed.
Why It Matters
IIS deployments commonly expose X-Powered-By: ASP.NET, X-AspNet-Version, and X-AspNetMvc-Version headers by default. These are goldmines for attackers — they immediately reveal the exact .NET version, enabling targeted exploitation of version-specific vulnerabilities. IIS is widely used in enterprise and government environments where a successful breach has significant consequences.
Common Configuration Mistakes
- ✗Forgetting to remove X-Powered-By, X-AspNet-Version, and X-AspNetMvc-Version
- ✗Not disabling the Server header (requires requestFiltering removeServerHeader in IIS 10+)
- ✗Setting enableVersionHeader in only one location (must be in both system.web and system.webServer)
- ✗Applying web.config changes to sub-applications instead of the root
- ✗Not testing after IIS application pool recycle
Recommended Configuration
<system.webServer>
<httpProtocol>
<customHeaders>
<remove name="X-Powered-By" />
<add name="Strict-Transport-Security" value="max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload" />
<add name="X-Frame-Options" value="SAMEORIGIN" />
<add name="X-Content-Type-Options" value="nosniff" />
<add name="Referrer-Policy" value="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" />
</customHeaders>
</httpProtocol>
<security>
<requestFiltering removeServerHeader="true" />
</security>
</system.webServer>Frequently Asked Questions
How do I remove X-Powered-By in IIS?
Add <remove name="X-Powered-By" /> inside customHeaders in web.config. To remove it globally, modify the applicationHost.config on the server.
How do I disable X-AspNet-Version?
Add <httpRuntime enableVersionHeader="false" /> in your web.config under system.web. Do not place httpRuntime under system.webServer.
Does removing the Server header require IIS 10?
The removeServerHeader="true" attribute in requestFiltering was introduced in IIS 10.0. For earlier versions, you need URL Rewrite module's outbound rules to remove the Server header.
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