Privacy Modes

Privacy mode controls what request/response data can leave Burp when the extension calls AI backends or returns MCP tool output.

Configure it in the Privacy & Logging tab in the Settings panel.

Default value is OFF. For real engagements, set privacy mode intentionally before sending any prompts.

Mode Comparison

Mode	Cookies	Auth Tokens	Hostnames	Typical Use
STRICT	Stripped	Redacted	Anonymized	Cloud backends with sensitive targets.
BALANCED	Stripped	Redacted	Preserved	Mixed workflows where host context is needed.
OFF	Preserved	Preserved	Preserved	Controlled internal testing only.

Decision Guide

What Changes in Practice

STRICT

• Hostnames are replaced with deterministic pseudonyms.

• Auth tokens are redacted.

• Cookies are stripped.

BALANCED

• Hostnames stay visible.

• Auth tokens are redacted.

• Cookies are stripped.

OFF

• Raw context is eligible for transmission.

• No automatic redaction is applied.

Before/After Example

Raw request headers:

Host: api.company.tld
Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOi...
Cookie: sessionid=abc123; csrftoken=xyz

STRICT output:

Host: host-a3f2c1.local
Authorization: Bearer [REDACTED]
Cookie: [STRIPPED]

BALANCED output:

Host: api.company.tld
Authorization: Bearer [REDACTED]
Cookie: [STRIPPED]

Important Boundaries

Privacy mode does not prevent active scanner traffic from reaching the real target. It only controls prompt/tool data sent to AI clients.

• BountyPrompt tag resolution runs after redaction, so tags inherit current privacy policy.

• MCP tool responses are filtered by the same privacy mode.

• Determinism mode and salt handling affect reproducibility and anonymization stability.

Related Pages

• Redaction Pipeline

• Determinism & Salt

• Audit Logging