Hi, I added the -P command line option and the PYTHONSAFEPATH=1 environment variable to Python 3.11 beta 1 to not prepend an "unsafe path" to sys.path such as the script's directory or the current directory: https://docs.python.org/dev/using/cmdline.html#cmdoption-P Example: ---------- $ echo 'Nope!' >random.py # broken module $ echo 'import random; print(random.randint(1, 6))' >dice.py $ python3.11 dice.py # default behavior (...) File "/home/vstinner/random.py", line 1 (...) SyntaxError: invalid syntax $ python3.11 -P dice.py # ignore local random.py 4 ---------- Please test Python 3.11 beta1 with the PYTHONSAFEPATH=1 environment variable set, or at least run python with the -P option. I'm curious which use cases are not affected and which use cases are affected. The PYTHONSAFEPATH=1 environment variable is inherited and so affect child processes. It can break applications relying on Python 3.10 sys.path behavior. I proposed adding -p option which does the opposite of the -P option: opt-in for Python 3.10 "unsafe" sys.path behavior, ignore the PYTHONSAFEPATH environment variable: https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/92361 If PYTHONSAFEPATH=1 only breaks a minority of use cases, maybe we can consider to make it the default, as Perl did in Perl 5.26 (2017) to increase its security: https://perldoc.perl.org/perl5260delta#Removal-of-the-current-directory-(%22... Perl has an environment variable to get the old (Perl 5.24) behavior: PERL_USE_UNSAFE_INC=1. If enough people consider that it would be a good idea to change the default, I can maybe write a full PEP (I already have some notes). Even if the PEP is rejected, it might be a good thing to write down everything about this topic since it's a common issue hit by users learning Python and a common question of people auditing the Python security. I was asked a few months ago about changing the default to increase Python security. Victor -- Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death.