diff --git a/java/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-297/UnsafeHostnameVerification.qhelp b/java/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-297/UnsafeHostnameVerification.qhelp
index 71c28a93159..f8bfc87a9c3 100644
--- a/java/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-297/UnsafeHostnameVerification.qhelp
+++ b/java/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-297/UnsafeHostnameVerification.qhelp
@@ -15,14 +15,14 @@ An attack would look like this:
 5. Java wants to reject the certificate because the hostname does not match. Before doing this it checks whether there exists a <code>HostnameVerifier</code>.
 6. Your <code>HostnameVerifier</code> is called which returns <code>true</code> for any certificate so also for this one.
 7. Java proceeds with the connection since your <code>HostnameVerifier</code> accepted it.
-8. The attacker can now read the data (Man-in-the-middle) your program sends to <code>https://example.com</code> while the program thinks the connection is secure.
+8. The attacker can now read the data your program sends to <code>https://example.com</code> and/or alter its replies while the program thinks the connection is secure.
 </p>
 </overview>
 
 <recommendation>
 <p>
-Do NOT use an unverifying <code>HostnameVerifier</code>!
-<li>If you use an unverifying verifier to solve a configuration problem with TLS/HTTPS you should solve the configuration problem instead.
+Do not use an open <code>HostnameVerifier</code>.
+<li>If you use an open verifier to solve a configuration problem with TLS/HTTPS you should solve the configuration problem instead.
 </li>
 </p>
 
@@ -42,4 +42,4 @@ In the second (good) example, the <code>HostnameVerifier</code> only returns <co
 <li><a href="https://tersesystems.com/blog/2014/03/23/fixing-hostname-verification/">Further Information on Hostname Verification</a>.</li>
 <li>OWASP: <a href="https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/297.html">CWE-297</a>.</li>
 </references>
-</qhelp>
\ No newline at end of file
+</qhelp>
diff --git a/java/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-297/UnsafeHostnameVerification.ql b/java/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-297/UnsafeHostnameVerification.ql
index 2e47f501f7b..d8960558894 100644
--- a/java/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-297/UnsafeHostnameVerification.ql
+++ b/java/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-297/UnsafeHostnameVerification.ql
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  * @name Disabled hostname verification
- * @description Accepting any certificate as valid for a host allows an attacker to perform a man-in-the-middle attack.
+ * @description Accepting any certificate as valid for a host allows an attacker to perform a machine-in-the-middle attack.
  * @kind path-problem
  * @problem.severity error
  * @precision high
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ private predicate alwaysReturnsTrue(HostnameVerifierVerify m) {
 }
 
 /**
- * A class that overrides the `javax.net.ssl.HostnameVerifier.verify` method and **always** returns `true` (ignoring exceptional flow), thus
+ * A class that overrides the `javax.net.ssl.HostnameVerifier.verify` method and **always** returns `true` (though it could also exit due to an uncaught exception), thus
  * accepting any certificate despite a hostname mismatch.
  */
 class TrustAllHostnameVerifier extends RefType {