diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 24f6ff1..850911d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,7 +5,16 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
-## [Unreleased]
+## [1.2.2] - 2025-12-15
+
+### Security & Fixed
+
+- Hardened redirect handling: all posted redirect URLs are now validated and external/hostile URLs are rejected, always falling back to the site home if unsafe
+- Session cookie fix: session cookies now omit the expires option for correct browser behavior
+- Footer link customize key is now consistent and backward compatible
+- Added PHPUnit test to ensure external redirect URLs are always rejected
+
+
 
 ## [1.2.1] - 2024-12-15
 
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index c5712e3..19c2487 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 	"description": "Password protects all pages and posts except the front page",
 	"type": "wordpress-plugin",
 	"license": "GPL-2.0+",
+	"version": "1.2.2",
 	"require": {
 		"php": ">=8.3",
 		"yahnis-elsts/plugin-update-checker": "^5.6"
diff --git a/includes/AdminSettings.php b/includes/AdminSettings.php
index 0d7a659..1e3340b 100644
--- a/includes/AdminSettings.php
+++ b/includes/AdminSettings.php
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ final class AdminSettings {
 		'show_remember_me'     => true,
 		'input_border_radius'  => 8,
 		'footer_text'          => '',
-		'footer_link_url'      => '',
+		'footer_link'          => '',
 	];
 
 	/**
@@ -186,6 +186,12 @@ private function get_default_settings(): array {
 	public static function get_customize_settings(): array {
 		$settings  = get_option( self::OPTION_NAME, [] );
 		$customize = $settings[ 'customize' ] ?? [];
+
+		// Backward-compat: prior versions used footer_link_url.
+		if ( empty( $customize[ 'footer_link' ] ) && ! empty( $customize[ 'footer_link_url' ] ) ) {
+			$customize[ 'footer_link' ] = $customize[ 'footer_link_url' ];
+		}
+
 		return array_merge( self::CUSTOMIZE_DEFAULTS, $customize );
 	}
 
@@ -1005,6 +1011,10 @@ private function sanitize_customize_settings( array $input ): array {
 		}
 
 		// URLs - sanitize as URLs.
+		if ( empty( $input[ 'footer_link' ] ) && ! empty( $input[ 'footer_link_url' ] ) ) {
+			$input[ 'footer_link' ] = $input[ 'footer_link_url' ];
+		}
+
 		$url_fields = [ 'bg_image', 'logo', 'footer_link' ];
 		foreach ( $url_fields as $field ) {
 			$sanitized[ $field ] = esc_url_raw( $input[ $field ] ?? '' );
diff --git a/includes/CookieHandler.php b/includes/CookieHandler.php
index 8c97b33..130ca06 100644
--- a/includes/CookieHandler.php
+++ b/includes/CookieHandler.php
@@ -52,25 +52,28 @@ public function set_cookie( string $password_hash, int $expiry_days = 30 ): void
 		$cookie_name  = $this->get_cookie_name();
 		$cookie_value = $this->generate_cookie_value( $password_hash );
 
-		// Calculate expiry time.
-		$expire = $expiry_days === 0 ? 0 : time() + ( $expiry_days * DAY_IN_SECONDS );
-
 		// Get cookie path and domain from WordPress constants.
 		$cookie_path   = defined( 'COOKIEPATH' ) ? COOKIEPATH : '/';
 		$cookie_domain = defined( 'COOKIE_DOMAIN' ) ? COOKIE_DOMAIN : '';
 
+		$cookie_options = [
+			'path'     => $cookie_path,
+			'domain'   => $cookie_domain,
+			'secure'   => is_ssl(),
+			'httponly' => true,
+			'samesite' => 'Lax',
+		];
+
+		// Calculate expiry time. For session cookies, omit the expires option.
+		if ( $expiry_days !== 0 ) {
+			$cookie_options[ 'expires' ] = time() + ( $expiry_days * DAY_IN_SECONDS );
+		}
+
 		// Set the cookie.
 		setcookie(
 			name: $cookie_name,
 			value: $cookie_value,
-			expires_or_options: [
-				'expires'  => $expire,
-				'path'     => $cookie_path,
-				'domain'   => $cookie_domain,
-				'secure'   => is_ssl(),
-				'httponly' => true,
-				'samesite' => 'Lax',
-			]
+			expires_or_options: $cookie_options
 		);
 
 		// Also set in $_COOKIE for immediate use.
diff --git a/includes/Protection.php b/includes/Protection.php
index b0252c2..10bcd2d 100644
--- a/includes/Protection.php
+++ b/includes/Protection.php
@@ -137,11 +137,16 @@ private function show_password_form(): never {
 	 * Get the current URL.
 	 */
 	private function get_current_url(): string {
-		$protocol = is_ssl() ? 'https://' : 'http://';
-		$host     = sanitize_text_field( wp_unslash( $_SERVER[ 'HTTP_HOST' ] ?? '' ) );
-		$uri      = sanitize_text_field( wp_unslash( $_SERVER[ 'REQUEST_URI' ] ?? '' ) );
+		$request_uri = isset( $_SERVER[ 'REQUEST_URI' ] ) ? wp_unslash( $_SERVER[ 'REQUEST_URI' ] ) : '';
+		if ( ! is_string( $request_uri ) ) {
+			$request_uri = '';
+		}
+
+		// Prevent header injection and ensure this stays a local path.
+		$request_uri = preg_replace( "/[\r\n].*/", '', $request_uri );
+		$request_uri = '/' . ltrim( $request_uri, '/' );
 
-		return $protocol . $host . $uri;
+		return home_url( $request_uri );
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -168,9 +173,14 @@ public function handle_form_submission(): never {
 			: '';
 
 		// Get redirect URL.
-		$redirect_url = isset( $_POST[ 'passwp_redirect' ] )
+		$redirect_url_raw = isset( $_POST[ 'passwp_redirect' ] )
 			? esc_url_raw( wp_unslash( $_POST[ 'passwp_redirect' ] ) )
-			: home_url();
+			: '';
+		$default_redirect = home_url( '/' );
+		$redirect_url     = $redirect_url_raw !== '' ? $redirect_url_raw : $default_redirect;
+		if ( function_exists( '\\wp_validate_redirect' ) ) {
+			$redirect_url = wp_validate_redirect( $redirect_url, $default_redirect );
+		}
 
 		// Get remember me checkbox.
 		$remember = ( $_POST[ 'passwp_remember' ] ?? '' ) === '1';
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 77919d0..dfb61c1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "passwp-posts",
-	"version": "1.2.1",
+	"version": "1.2.2",
 	"description": "Password protects all pages and posts except the front page",
 	"type": "module",
 	"scripts": {
diff --git a/readme.txt b/readme.txt
index 1f1ac5d..c3396ce 100644
--- a/readme.txt
+++ b/readme.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Tags: password, protection, privacy, security, access control
 Requires at least: 6.8
 Tested up to: 6.9
 Requires PHP: 8.3
-Stable tag: 1.2.1
+Stable tag: 1.2.2
 License: GPLv2 or later
 License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
 
diff --git a/tests/ProtectionTest.php b/tests/ProtectionTest.php
index a9aa05f..d373602 100644
--- a/tests/ProtectionTest.php
+++ b/tests/ProtectionTest.php
@@ -254,4 +254,48 @@ function ( $url ) use ( &$redirect_url ) {
 
 		$_POST = array();
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test form submission rejects external redirect URLs.
+	 */
+	public function test_form_submission_rejects_external_redirect(): void {
+		$_POST = array(
+			'passwp_posts_nonce' => 'valid_nonce',
+			'passwp_password'    => 'correct_password',
+			'passwp_redirect'    => 'https://evil.example/phish',
+			'passwp_remember'    => '1',
+		);
+
+		Functions\when( 'wp_verify_nonce' )->justReturn( true );
+		Functions\when( 'get_option' )->justReturn(
+			array(
+				'enabled'            => true,
+				'password_hash'      => '$2y$10$validhashhere',
+				'cookie_expiry_days' => 30,
+			)
+		);
+		Functions\when( 'wp_check_password' )->justReturn( true );
+		Functions\when( 'wp_salt' )->justReturn( 'test_salt' );
+
+		$redirect_url = '';
+		Functions\when( 'wp_safe_redirect' )->alias(
+			function ( $url ) use ( &$redirect_url ) {
+				$redirect_url = $url;
+				throw new \Exception( 'redirect_called' );
+			}
+		);
+
+		try {
+			$protection = new Protection();
+			$protection->handle_form_submission();
+		} catch (\Exception $e) {
+			if ( 'redirect_called' !== $e->getMessage() ) {
+				throw $e;
+			}
+		}
+
+		$this->assertEquals( 'https://example.com/', $redirect_url );
+
+		$_POST = array();
+	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/bootstrap.php b/tests/bootstrap.php
index 6866c32..690dfb0 100644
--- a/tests/bootstrap.php
+++ b/tests/bootstrap.php
@@ -51,6 +51,43 @@
 	define( 'PASSWP_POSTS_URL', 'https://example.com/wp-content/plugins/passwp-posts/' );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Minimal WordPress redirect validator for tests.
+ *
+ * Brain\Monkey does not define this function by default, but the plugin conditionally
+ * calls it when present. Defining a minimal compatible implementation here allows
+ * us to test redirect hardening logic.
+ */
+if ( ! function_exists( 'wp_validate_redirect' ) ) {
+	function wp_validate_redirect( $location, $default = '' ) {
+		$location = is_string( $location ) ? trim( $location ) : '';
+		$default  = is_string( $default ) ? $default : '';
+
+		if ( $location === '' ) {
+			return $default;
+		}
+
+		$allowed_host = parse_url( home_url( '/' ), PHP_URL_HOST );
+		$host         = parse_url( $location, PHP_URL_HOST );
+		$scheme       = parse_url( $location, PHP_URL_SCHEME );
+
+		// Allow relative URLs.
+		if ( $host === null ) {
+			return $location;
+		}
+
+		// Only allow http(s) to the site's host.
+		if ( $host !== $allowed_host ) {
+			return $default;
+		}
+		if ( $scheme !== null && ! in_array( strtolower( (string) $scheme ), array( 'http', 'https' ), true ) ) {
+			return $default;
+		}
+
+		return $location;
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * Base test case class with Brain\Monkey setup.
  */
diff --git a/vendor/composer/installed.php b/vendor/composer/installed.php
index 91a61f0..4e949a6 100644
--- a/vendor/composer/installed.php
+++ b/vendor/composer/installed.php
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
         'name' => 'soderlind/passwp-posts',
         'pretty_version' => 'dev-main',
         'version' => 'dev-main',
-        'reference' => '8dbc6445966a732fd3c022dcf079a6cb5d0a7017',
+        'reference' => 'acd9d3ab66e315ac38c8f84da750aef4bdf65524',
         'type' => 'wordpress-plugin',
         'install_path' => __DIR__ . '/../../',
         'aliases' => array(),
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@
         'soderlind/passwp-posts' => array(
             'pretty_version' => 'dev-main',
             'version' => 'dev-main',
-            'reference' => '8dbc6445966a732fd3c022dcf079a6cb5d0a7017',
+            'reference' => 'acd9d3ab66e315ac38c8f84da750aef4bdf65524',
             'type' => 'wordpress-plugin',
             'install_path' => __DIR__ . '/../../',
             'aliases' => array(),