by Jeff Starr 5 (6 reviews)

Host Header Injection Fix

Name: Host Header Injection Fix
Rating: 5.0 (6 reviews)
Author: Jeff Starr

Sets custom headers for WP notification emails. Also fixes a security issue with WP versions < 5.5.

Host Header Injection Fix ranks #9,382 among WordPress.org plugins with 400+ active installations, is #589 of 4,525 in the Security category, a 5/5 rating from 6 reviews, and was last updated Jul 18, 2026. Data from WordPress.org, refreshed twice daily — see methodology.

Compatible with WP 7.1

v3.7 Current Version v3.7

Updated 1 month ago Last Update on 18 Jul, 2026

Refreshed 8 hours ago Last Refreshed on

#589 of 4,525 in Security Top 25% by installs

View on WordPress.org

Rank

#9,382

+12 this week

Active Installs

400+

-18.7%

KW Avg Position

82.7

0.6 better

Downloads

25.4K

+1 today

Support Resolved

— No change

Rating

100%

Review 5 out of 5

5 (6 reviews)

Next Milestone 500

Total Progress 84%

400+ 500+

169

Ranks to Climb

Growth Needed

8,000,000

Active Installs

Pro

Unlock Exact Install Count

See the precise estimated active installs for this plugin, calculated from real-time ranking data.

Exact install estimates within tiers
Track install growth over time
Milestone progress predictions

Upgrade to Pro

Need 16 more installs to reach 500+

Rank Changes

Current #9,382

Change

Best #

Upgrade to Pro

Unlock 30-day and 90-day rank history charts with a Pro subscription.

Upgrade Now

Active Installs Growth

Upgrade to Pro

Active Installs 0,000,000+

Growth +0.0%

Peak 0,000,000

Downloads Growth

Downloads

Growth

Peak

Upgrade to Pro

Unlock 30-day, 90-day, and yearly download history charts with a Pro subscription.

Upgrade Now

Reviews & Ratings

5.0

6 reviews

Overall 100%

6 (100%)

0 (0%)

Security History

Source: WPVulnerability

No known vulnerabilities on record for Host Header Injection Fix. Checked 1 month ago.

Track This Plugin

Get detailed analytics, keyword tracking, and position alerts delivered to your inbox.

Start Tracking Free

Plugin Details

Version: 3.7
Last Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Requires WP: 4.7+
Tested Up To: 7.1
PHP Version: 5.6.20 or higher
Author: Jeff Starr

Support & Rating

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5
Reviews: 6
Support Threads: 0
Resolved: 0%

Keywords

email headers injection notification security

Upgrade to Pro

Unlock keyword rankings, search positions, and detailed analytics with a Pro subscription.

Upgrade Now

Similar Plugins

Adminify – White Label, Admin Menu Editor, Login Customizer

6K+ installs

#2,754

Master Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Widgets, Mega Menu Builder, Popup Builder, Widget Builder & Template Kits

Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection

5M+ installs

Wordfence Security - Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security

5M+ installs

#11

Really Simple Security - Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL)

Limit Login Attempts Security - Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention

View all Security-and-spam-protection plugins

TL;DR

AI summary of the plugin's readme

This plugin is for WordPress site owners who want to customize the headers on notification emails and, on WordPress versions before 5.5, protect against a host-header injection vulnerability. It sets a custom From, Name, and Return-Path for WP emails, and fixes both the security issue and an invalid email address bug caused by an empty SERVER_NAME on older WordPress versions.

Custom From email header
Custom Name header
Custom Return-Path header
Fixes host-header injection vulnerability
Fixes invalid email address bug
Use WP General Settings email
Use custom name and address
Return-Path from From address

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Host Header Injection Fix

As of WordPress 5.5, this plugin no longer is necessary. They finally fixed the bug reported in Ticket #25239, mentioned in this post WordPress 5.5 Beta 4. Thank You WordPress devs! "So is the plugin still useful?" Yes, HHIF enables you to choose the "From", "Name", and "Return-Path" headers for all WP notification emails. And for versions of WordPress less than 5.5, this plugin continues to fix the host-header injection security issue.

For fixing the host-header injection security issue, this plugin is necessary only for WordPress versions less than 5.5 (they fixed the bug in WP 5.5). So if you are running WP 5.5 or better, then you do not need this plugin. Unless you want to customize the headers used in WP notification emails. If you are using WordPress less than 5.5, you can find more information on testing here and here.

Yes, if activated on an individual per-site basis. I.e., may not work properly with network-wide activation.

Yes, there are numerous hooks available for advanced customization. Refer to the source code for details.

When the HHIF option, WP Notifications > "Use custom address" is enabled, the plugin toggles open another option called "Email Return Path". There you can check the box to use the "Email From Address" as the Return Path for all emails sent by WordPress (e.g., new user notifications, new comment notifications, login related notifications, etc.). So check/enable this option only if you want to use the "Email From Address" as the Return Path for all emails sent by WordPress. If in doubt, leave the option unchecked/disabled.

Yes, three of them: BBQ Firewall for super-fast firewall security Blackhole for Bad Bots to protect your site against bad bots Banhammer to monitor and ban any user or IP address Pro versions with more features available at Plugin Planet.

Yes, works great does not matter which editor (block or classic) is used.

Send any questions or feedback via my contact form